Depression

The application of novel brain stimulation techniques to treat depression, and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders, is a new and rapidly growing field. Among these techniques, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is emerging as one of the most promising approaches because of its relative ease of use, safety, and neurobiological effects.

Recently conducted studies deliver clear evidence for an anti-depressive effect of tDCS. The size of the effect seems to be in the range of antidepressant medication. It can be delivered with or without medication.

Recent findings from the British Medical Journal provide evidence for non-surgical brain stimulation techniques, such as TDCS as an alternative or add-on treatments for adults with major depressive episodes. These findings also highlight important research priorities in the specialty of brain stimulation, such as the need for further well designed randomized controlled trials comparing novel treatments, and sham-controlled trials investigating magnetic seizure therapy.