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tDCS in Depressive Disorders

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Non Invasive Brain Stimulation in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and debilitating mental condition, whose first-line treatments include the diverse antidepressant medications and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. However, clinical response to these treatments is low and contains side effects, which some patients might find intolerable. In this scenario, noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are increasingly seen as effective, safe, and feasible therapies for MDD. tDCS involves the passage of a weak electrical current through the brain, generated via two electrodes placed over the scalp. The positive electrode (anode) is usually placed over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), stimulating the underlying region, while the negative electrode (cathode) is placed over the left DLPFC, inhibiting this region, with indirect effects over other areas of the brain. The results from recent clinical trials have observed tDCS to be effective in MDD, albeit still inferior to antidepressants, but nevertheless, with a favorable side effect and tolerability profile. Future directions in tDCS-related research should focus on the optimization of its parameters, its use in association with antidepressants and cognitive-behavioral interventions (add-on effects), while offering patients the possibility of home-based strategies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Interdisciplinary Service of Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Neurosciences (LIM-27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Andre R. Brunoni & Lucas Borrione

  2. Department and Institute of Psychiatry, National Institute of Biomarkers in Psychiatry (InBioN), Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Andre R. Brunoni

  3. University Hospital, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Andre R. Brunoni

Authors
  1. Andre R. Brunoni
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  2. Lucas Borrione
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Correspondence to Lucas Borrione .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco, University of Milan, MILANO, Milano, Italy

    Bernardo Dell'Osso

  2. University of Rome Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy

    Giorgio Di Lorenzo

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Brunoni, A.R., Borrione, L. (2020). tDCS in Depressive Disorders. In: Dell'Osso, B., Di Lorenzo, G. (eds) Non Invasive Brain Stimulation in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43356-7_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43356-7_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-43355-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-43356-7

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