Direct electrical stimulation of the skull Promising treatment for major depressive disorder

Abstract: Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) opens new perspectives in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), because of its ability to modulate cortical excitability and induce long-lasting effects. The aim of this review is to summarize the current status of knowledge regarding tDCS application in MDD.Methods: In this review, we searched for articles published in PubMed/MEDLINE from the earliest available date to February ۲۰۱۹ that explored clinical and cognitive effects of tDCS inMDD. Results: Despite differences in design and stimulation parameters, the examined studies indicated beneficial effects of tDCS for MDD. These preliminary results, the non-invasiveness oftDCS, and its good tolerability support the need for further research on this technique.Conclusions: tDCS constitutes a promising therapeutic alternative for patients with MDD, but itsplace in the therapeutic armamentarium remains to be determined.

Keywords:

transcranial direct current stimulation , depression , cognition