Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Promising Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder?

Bennabi, Djamila; Haffen, Emmanuel

doi:10.3390/brainsci8050081

Volume 8, Issue 5

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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Promising Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder?

Djamila Bennabi^* and Emmanuel Haffen

Department of Clinical Psychiatry, CIC-1431 INSERM, CHU de Besançon, EA Neurosciences, University Bourgogne Franche-Comte, FondaMental Foundation, 94000 Creteil, France

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Brain Sci. 2018, 8(5), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci8050081

Received: 7 March 2018 / Revised: 19 April 2018 / Accepted: 3 May 2018 / Published: 6 May 2018

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Research in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Major Depression)

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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 2018 that explored clinical and cognitive effects of tDCS in MDD. Results: Despite differences in design and stimulation parameters, the examined studies indicated beneficial effects of tDCS for MDD. These preliminary results, the non-invasiveness of tDCS, 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 its place in the therapeutic armamentarium remains to be determined. View Full-Text

Keywords: transcranial direct current stimulation; depression; cognition

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Bennabi, D.; Haffen, E. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Promising Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder? Brain Sci. 2018, 8, 81.