Clinical use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Psychiatry

Brunoni A.; Boggio P.

Clinical use of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Psychiatry

Tipo

Capítulo de livro

Data de publicação

2014

Periódico

The Stimulated Brain: Cognitive Enhancement Using Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation

Citações (Scopus)

1

Autores

Brunoni A.
Boggio P.

Resumo

© 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique of neuromodulation that has gained attention in the past decade due to encouraging results on the treatment of different neuropsychiatric conditions. tDCS is based on the application of low direct current over the scalp, and its effects are polarity dependent - i.e., anodal tDCS induces hypopolarization while cathodal tDCS induces hyperpolarization. In the 1960s, a few trials presented mixed findings for tDCS to treat major depression (MDD). However, particularly since 2006, this scenario has been changed, with several controlled clinical trials on MDD and a meta-analysis showing generally positive results. Nevertheless, few studies have been conducted on other psychiatric conditions, such as bipolar disorder (BD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Here we discuss the clinical use of tDCS in psychiatry, focusing primarily on MDD, BD, OCD, and ADHD.