Single sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial random noise stimulation exert no effect on sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

Background: Hypersomnia poses major challenges to treatment providers given the limitations of available treatment options. In this context, the application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) may open up new avenues to effective treatment. Preliminary evidence suggests both acute and longer-lasting positive effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on vigilance and sleepiness in hypersomniac patients.