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Transcranial direct-current stimulation
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neuromodulation that uses constant, low direct current delivered via electrodes on the head. This type of neurotherapy was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries or neuropsychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder. It can be contrasted with cranial electrotherapy stimulation, which generally uses alternating current the same way, as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Research shows increasing evidence for tDCS as a treatment for depression. There is emerging supportive evidence for tDCS in the management of schizophrenia – especially for negative symptoms. There is mixed evidence about whether tDCS is useful for cognitive enhancement in healthy people. There is no strong evidence that tDCS is useful for memory deficits in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, non-neuropathic pain, nor for improving arm or leg functioning and muscle strength in people recovering from a stroke.
There is some evidence tDCS might be of moderate benefit as treatment for mild and moderate depression, major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
Recent research on tDCS has shown promising results in treating other mental health conditions such as anxiety and PTSD. More research is required on the topic. There is also evidence that tDCS is useful in treating neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. There is evidence of very low to moderate quality that tDCS can improve activities of daily living assessment in the short-term after stroke.
Transcranial direct-current stimulaiton is also used to augment speech therapy in patients with acquired language disorders like aphasia, or to help maintain language abilities in the case of primary progressive aphasia, a neurodegenerative condition.
According to the British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the evidence on tDCS for depression raises no major safety concerns.
As of 2017, at stimulation up to 60 min and up to 4 mA over two weeks, adverse effects include skin irritation, a phosphene at the start of stimulation, nausea, headache, dizziness, and itching under the electrode. Typical treatment sessions lasting for about 20–30 min repeated daily for several weeks in the treatment of depression. Adverse effects of long term treatment were not known as of 2017. Nausea most commonly occurs when the electrodes are placed above the mastoid for stimulation of the vestibular system. A phosphene is a brief flash of light that can occur if an electrode is placed near the eye.
People susceptible to seizures, such as people with epilepsy should not receive tDCS. Studies have been completed to determine the current density at which overt brain damage occurs in rats. It was found that in cathodal stimulation, a current density of 142.9 A/m2 delivering a charge density of 52400 C/m2 or higher caused a brain lesion in the rat. This is over two orders of magnitude higher than protocols that were in use as of 2009.
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Transcranial direct-current stimulation
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of neuromodulation that uses constant, low direct current delivered via electrodes on the head. This type of neurotherapy was originally developed to help patients with brain injuries or neuropsychiatric conditions such as major depressive disorder. It can be contrasted with cranial electrotherapy stimulation, which generally uses alternating current the same way, as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation.
Research shows increasing evidence for tDCS as a treatment for depression. There is emerging supportive evidence for tDCS in the management of schizophrenia – especially for negative symptoms. There is mixed evidence about whether tDCS is useful for cognitive enhancement in healthy people. There is no strong evidence that tDCS is useful for memory deficits in Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, non-neuropathic pain, nor for improving arm or leg functioning and muscle strength in people recovering from a stroke.
There is some evidence tDCS might be of moderate benefit as treatment for mild and moderate depression, major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression.
Recent research on tDCS has shown promising results in treating other mental health conditions such as anxiety and PTSD. More research is required on the topic. There is also evidence that tDCS is useful in treating neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. There is evidence of very low to moderate quality that tDCS can improve activities of daily living assessment in the short-term after stroke.
Transcranial direct-current stimulaiton is also used to augment speech therapy in patients with acquired language disorders like aphasia, or to help maintain language abilities in the case of primary progressive aphasia, a neurodegenerative condition.
According to the British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the evidence on tDCS for depression raises no major safety concerns.
As of 2017, at stimulation up to 60 min and up to 4 mA over two weeks, adverse effects include skin irritation, a phosphene at the start of stimulation, nausea, headache, dizziness, and itching under the electrode. Typical treatment sessions lasting for about 20–30 min repeated daily for several weeks in the treatment of depression. Adverse effects of long term treatment were not known as of 2017. Nausea most commonly occurs when the electrodes are placed above the mastoid for stimulation of the vestibular system. A phosphene is a brief flash of light that can occur if an electrode is placed near the eye.
People susceptible to seizures, such as people with epilepsy should not receive tDCS. Studies have been completed to determine the current density at which overt brain damage occurs in rats. It was found that in cathodal stimulation, a current density of 142.9 A/m2 delivering a charge density of 52400 C/m2 or higher caused a brain lesion in the rat. This is over two orders of magnitude higher than protocols that were in use as of 2009.