tDCS for the treatment of depression: a comprehensive review

European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience

Volumn 266, Issue 8, 2016, Pages 681-694

  Palm, Ulrich ^a   Hasan, Alkomiet ^a   Strube, Wolfgang ^a   Padberg, Frank ^a  

^a LUDWIG MAXIMILIANS UNIVERSITY   (Germany)

Author keywords

Major depressive disorder; Noninvasive brain stimulation; tDCS; Treatment resistance

Indexed keywords

ANTIDEPRESSANT AGENT; PSYCHOTROPIC AGENT;

COGNITION; HUMAN; MAJOR DEPRESSION; META ANALYSIS; PATIENT SAFETY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RECURRENCE RISK; REVIEW; TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION; TREATMENT OUTCOME; TREATMENT RESISTANT DEPRESSION; DEPRESSION; PROCEDURES;

DEPRESSION; HUMANS; TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION;

EID: 84957579009     PISSN: 09401334     EISSN: 14338491     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s00406-016-0674-9     Document Type: Review

References (78)

1. Bindman LJ, Lippold OC, Redfearn JW (1964) The action of brief polarizing currents in the cerebral cortex of the rat (1) during current flow and (2) in the production of long-lasting after-effects. J Physiol 172:369–382
2. Nitsche MA, Boggio PS, Fregni F, Pascual-Leone A (2009) Treatment of depression with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): a review. Exp Neurol 219:14–19
3. Nitsche MA, Paulus W (2000) Excitability changes induced in the human motor cortex by weak transcranial direct current stimulation. J Physiol 527:633–639
4. Nitsche MA, Liebetanz D, Antal A, Lang N, Tergau F, Paulus W (2003) Modulation of cortical excitability by weak direct current stimulation–technical, safety and functional aspects. Suppl Clin Neurophysiol 56:255–276
5. Nitsche MA, Paulus W (2001) Sustained excitability elevations induced by transcranial DC motor cortex stimulation in humans. Neurology 57:1899–1901
6. Campbell S, Mariott M, Nahmias C, McQueen GM (2004) Lower hippocampal volume in patients suffering from depression: a meta-analysis. Am J Psychiatry 161:598–607
7. Hamilton JP, Siemer M, Gottlib IH (2008) Amygdala volume in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging studies. Mol Psychiatry 13:993–1000
8. Koenigs M, Grafman J (2009) The functional neuroanatomy of depression: distinct roles for ventromedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Behav Brain Res 201:239–243
9. Grimm S, Beck J, Schuepbach D, Hell D, Boesiger P, Bermpohl F et al (2008) Imbalance between left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in major depression is linked to negative emotional judgment: an fMRI study in severe major depression. Biol Psychiatry 63:369–376
10. Vanderhasselt MA, de Raedt R, Leyman L, Baeken C (2009) Acute effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on attentional control related to antidepressant outcomes. J Psychiatry Neurosci 34:119–126
11. Reid SA, Duke LM, Allen JJ (1998) Resting frontal electroencephalographic asymmetry in depression: inconsistencies suggest the need to identify mediating factors. Psychophysiol 35:389–404
12. Debener S, Beauducel A, Nessler D, Brocke B, Heilemann H, Kayser J (2000) Is the resting anterior EEG alpha asymmetry a trait marker for depression? Findings for healthy adults and clinically depressed patients. Neuropsychobiol 41:31–37
13. Keeser D, Padberg F, Reisinger E, Pogarell O, Kirsch V, Palm U et al (2011) Prefrontal direct current stimulation modulates resting EEG and event-related potentials in healthy subjects: a standardized low resolution tomography (sLORETA) study. Neuroimage 55:644–657
14. Keeser D, Meindl T, Bor J, Palm U, Pogarell O, Mulert C et al (2011) Prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation changes connectivity of resting state networks during fMRI. J Neurosci 26:15284–15293
15. Fregni F, Boggio PS, Nitsche MA, Rigonatti SP, Pascual-Leone A (2006) Cognitive effects of repeated sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with depression. Depr Anxiety 23:1–3
16. Fregni F, Boggio PS, Nitsche MA, Marcolin MA, Rigonatti SP, Pascual-Leone A (2006) Treatment of major depression with transcranial direct current stimulation. Bipolar Disord 8:203–205
17. Boggio PS, Rigonatti SP, Ribeiro RB, Myczkowski ML, Nitsche MA, Pascual-Leone A et al (2008) A randomized, double-blind clinical trial on the efficacy of cortical direct current stimulation for the treatment of major depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 11:249–254
18. Rigonatti SP, Boggio PS, Myczkowski ML, Otta E, Fiquer JT, Ribeiro RB et al (2008) Transcranial direct current stimulation and fluoxetine for the treatment of depression. Eur Psychiatry 23:74–76
19. Loo CK, Sachdev P, Martin DM, Pigot M, Alonzo A, Malhi GS et al (2010) A double-blind, sham-controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 13:61–69
20. Loo CK, Alonzo A, Martin DM, Mitchel PB, Galvez V, Sachdev P (2012) Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: 3-week, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry 200:52–59
21. Palm U, Schiller C, Fintescu Z, Obermeier M, Keeser D, Reisinger E et al (2012) Transcranial direct current stimulation in treatment resistant depression: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Brain Stimul 5:242–251
22. Blumberger DM, Tran LC, Fitzgerald PB, Hoy KE, Daskalakis ZJ (2012) A randomized double-blind sham-controlled study of transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment-resistant major depression. Front Psychiatry 3:74
23. Brunoni AR, Valiengo L, Baccaro A, Zanao TA, de Oliveira JF, Goulart A et al (2013) The sertraline vs. electrical current therapy for treating depression clinical study: results from a factorial, randomized, controlled trial. JAMA Psychiatry 70:383–391
24. Bennabi D, Nicolier M, Monnin J, Tio G, Pazart L, Vandel P, Haffen E (2015) Pilot study of feasibility of the effect of treatment with tDCS in patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression treated with escitalopram. Clin Neurophysiol 126:1185–1189
25. Ferrucci R, Bortolomasi M, Vergari M, Tadini L, Salvoro B, Giacopuzzi M et al (2008) Transcranial direct current stimulation in severe, drug-resistant major depression. J Affect Disord 118:215–219
26. Ferruci R, Bortolomasi M, Brunoni AR, Vergari M, Tadini L, Giacopuzzi M et al (2009) Comparative benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment in patients with mild/moderate vs. severe depression. Clin Neuropsychiatry 6:246–251
27. Brunoni AR, Ferrucci R, Bortolomasi M, Vergari M, Tadini L, Boggio PS et al (2011) Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in unipolar vs. bipolar disorder. Prog Neuro-Psychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 35:96–101
28. Martin DM, Alonzo A, Mitchell PB, Sachdev P, Galvez V, Loo CK (2011) Fronto-extracephalic transcranial direct current stimulation as a treatment for major depression: an open-label pilot study. J Affect Disord 134:459–463
29. Dell’Osso B, Zanoni S, Ferrucci R, Vergari M, Castellano F, D’Urso N et al (2012) Transcranial direct current stimulation for the outpatient treatment of poor-responder depressed patients. Eur Psychiatry 27:513–517
30. Knotkova H, Rosedale M, Strauss SM, Horne J, Soto E, Cruciani RA et al (2012) Using transcranial direct current stimulation to treat depression in HIV-infected persons: the outcomes of a feasibility study. Front Psychiatry 18(3):59
31. Brunoni AR, Ferrucci R, Bortolomasi M, Scelzo E, Boggio PS, Fregni F et al (2013) Interactions between transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and pharmacological interventions in major depressive episode: findings from a naturalistic study. Eur Psychiatry 28:356–361
32. Martin DM, Alonzo A, Ho KA, Player M, Mitchell PB, Sachdev P et al (2013) Continuation transcranial direct current stimulation for the prevention of relapse in major depression. J Affect Disord 25:274–278
33. Valiengo L, Bensenor IM, Goulart AC, de Oliveira JF, Zanao TA, Boggio PS et al (2013) The sertraline versus electrical current therapy for treating depression clinical study (SELECT-TDCS): results of the crossover and follow-up phases. Depress Anxiety 30:646–653
34. Ho KA, Bai S, Martin D, Alonzo A, Dokos S, Puras P, Loo CK (2014) A pilot study of alternative transcranial direct current stimulation electrode montages for the treatment of major depression. J Affect Disord 167:251–258
35. Ho KA, Bai S, Martin D, Alonzo A, Dokos S, Loo CK (2015) Clinical pilot study and computational modeling of bitemporal transcranial direct current stimulation, and safety of repeated courses of treatment, in major depression. J ECT 31:226–233
36. Palm U, Keeser D, Schiller C, Fintescu Z, Reisinger E, Baghai TC et al (2009) Transcranial direct current stimulation in a patient with therapy-resistant major depression. World J Biol Psychiatry 10(Pt 2):632–635
37. Arul-Anandam AP, Loo CK, Mitchell P (2010) Induction of hypomanic episode in unipolar depression during transcranial direct current stimulation. J ECT 26:68–69
38. Baccaro A, Brunoni AR, Bensenor IM, Fregni F (2010) Hypomanic episode in unipolar depression during transcranial direct current stimulation. Acta Neuropsychiatr 22:316–318
39. Brunoni AR, Valiengo L, Zanao TA, de Oliveira JF, Bensenor IM, Fregni F (2011) Manic psychosis after sertraline and transcranial direct current stimulation. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 23:E4–E5
40. Bueno VF, Brunoni AR, Boggio PS, Bensenor IM, Fregni F (2011) Mood and cognitive effects of transcranial direct current stimulation in post-stroke depression. Neurocase 17:318–322
41. Galvez V, Alonzo A, Martin D, Mitchell PB, Sachdev P, Loo CK (2011) Hypomania induction in a patient with bipolar II disorder by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). J ECT 27:256–258
42. Shiozawa P, da Silva ME, Dias DR, Chaves AC, de Oliveira Diniz BS, Cordeiro Q (2014) Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression in a 92-year-old patient: a case study. Psychogeriatrics 14:269–270
43. Shiozawa P, da Silva ME, Cordeiro Q (2015) Transcranial direct current stimulation for treating depression in a patient with right hemispheric dominance: a case study. J ECT 31:201–202
44. Palm U, Padberg F, Remi J (2015) Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in a patient with PRES and bipolar depression. Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 83:e11–e13
45. Brunoni AR, Ferrucci R, Fregni F, Boggio PS, Priori A (2012) Transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of major depressive disorder: a summary of preclinical, clinical and translational findings. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 39:9–16
46. Kalu UG, Sexton CE, Loo CK, Ebmeier KP (2012) Transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of major depression: a meta-analysis. Psychol Med 42:1791–1800
47. Berlim MT, Van den Eynde F, Daskalakis ZJ (2013) Clinical utility of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for treating major depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind and sham-controlled trials. J Psychiatric Res 47:1–7
48. Meron D, Hedger N, Garner M, Baldwin DS (2015) Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of depression: systematic review and meta-analysis of efficacy and tolerability. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 57:46–62
49. Brunoni AR, Moffa AH, Fregni F, Palm U, Padberg F, Blumberger DM, Daskalakis ZJ, Bennabi D, Haffen E, Alonzo A, Loo CK (2015) Transcranial direct current stimulation for the acute major depressive episode: a meta-analysis of individual patient data. Br J Psychiatry [Epub ahead of print]
50. Ironside M, O’Shea J, Cowen PJ, Harmer CJ (2015) Frontal cortex stimulation reduces vigilance to threat: implications for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Biol Psychiatry. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.06.012
51. Nitsche MA, Müller-Dahlhaus F, Paulus W, Ziemann U (2012) The pharmacology of neuroplasticity induced by non-invasive brain stimulation: building models for the clinical use of CNS active drugs. J Physiol 590(Pt 19):4641–4662
52. Dell’Osso B, Dobrea C, Arici C, Benatti B, Ferrucci R, Vergari M et al (2014) Augmentative transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in poor responder depressed patients: a follow-up study. CNS Spectr 19:347–354
53. Kuo MF, Nitsche MA (2012) Effects of transcranial electrical stimulation on cognition. Clin EEG Neurosci 43:192–199
54. Boggio PS, Bermpohl F, Vergara A, Muniz AL, Nahas FH, Leme PB et al (2007) Go-no-go task performance improvement after anodal transcranial direct DC stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in major depression. J Affect Disord 101:91–98
55. Brunoni AR, Zanao TA, Ferrucci R, Priori A, Valiengo L, Oliveira JF et al (2013) Bifrontal tDCS prevents implicit learning acquisition in antidepressant-free patients with major depressive disorder. Prog Neuro-Psychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 43:146–150
56. Oliveira JF, Zanao TA, Valiengo L, Lotufo PA, Bensenor IM, Fregni F et al (2013) Acute working memory improvement after tDCS in antidepressant-free patients with major depressive disorder. Neurosci Lett 537:60–64
57. Wolkenstein L, Plewnia C (2013) Amelioration of cognitive control in depression by transcranial direct current stimulation. Biol Psychiatry 73:646–651
58. Brunoni AR, Zanao TA, Vanderhasselt MA, Valiengo L, de Oliveira JF, Boggio PS et al (2014) Enhancement of affective processing induced by bifrontal transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with major depression. Neuromodulation 17:138–142
59. Moreno ML, Vanderhasselt MA, Carvalho AF, Moffa AH, Lotufo PA, Benseñor IM, Brunoni AR (2015) Effects of acute transcranial direct current stimulation in hot and cold working memory tasks in healthy and depressed subjects. Neurosci Lett 591:126–131
60. Brunoni AR, Boggio PS, De Raedt R, Benseñor IM, Lotufo PA, Namur V et al (2014) Cognitive control therapy and transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: a randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial. J Affect Disord 162:43–49
61. Vanderhasselt MA, De Raedt R, Namur V, Lotufo PA, Bensenor IM, Boggio PS, Brunoni AR (2014) Transcranial electric stimulation and neurocognitive training in clinically depressed patients: a pilot study of the effects on rumination. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 57:93–99
62. Hoy KE, Emonson MR, Arnold SL, Thomson RH, Daskalakis ZJ, Fitzgerald PB (2013) Testing the limits: investigating the effect of tDCS dose on working memory enhancement in healthy controls. Neuropsychologia 51:1777–1784
63. Teo F, Hoy KE, Daskalakis ZJ, Fitzgerald PB (2011) Investigating the role of current strength in tDCS modulation of working memory performance in healthy controls. Front Psychiatry 2:45
64. Segrave RA, Arnold S, Hoy K, Fitzgerald PB (2014) Concurrent cognitive control training augments the antidepressant efficacy of tDCS: a pilot study. Brain Stimul 7:325–331
65. Iyer MB, Mattu U, Grafman J, Lomarev M, Sato S, Wassermann EM (2005) Safety and cognitive effect of frontal DC brain polarization in healthy individuals. Neurology 64:872–875
66. Ekici B (2015) Transcranial direct current stimulation-induced seizure: analysis of a case. Clin EEG Neurosci 46:169
67. Palm U, Keeser D, Schiller C, Fintescu Z, Nitsche MA, Reisinger E et al (2008) Skin lesions after treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Brain Stimul 1:386–387
68. Frank E, Wilfurth S, Landgrebe M, Eichhammer P, Hajak G, Langguth B (2010) Anodal skin lesions after treatment with transcranial direct current stimulation. Brain Stimul 3:58–59
69. Palm U, Leitner B, Strube W, Hasan A, Padberg F (2015) Safety of repeated twice-daily 30 minutes of 2 mA tDCS in depressed patients. Int Neuropsychiatr Dis J 4:168–171
70. O’Connell NE, Cossar J, Marston L, Wand BM, Bunce D, Moseley GL et al (2012) Rethinking clinical trials of transcranial direct current stimulation: participant and assessor blinding is inadequate at intensities of 2 mA. PLoS ONE 7:e47514
71. Palm U, Reisinger E, Keeser D, Kuo MF, Pogarell O, Leicht G et al (2013) Evaluation of sham transcranial direct current stimulation for randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials. Brain Stimul 6:690–695
72. Peña-Gómez C, Sala-Lonch R, Junqué C, Clemente IC, Vidal D, Bargalló N et al (2012) Modulation of large-scale brain networks by transcranial direct current stimulation evidenced by resting-state functional MRI. Brain Stimul 5:252–263
73. Meinzer M, Antonenko D, Lindenberg R, Hetzer S, Ulm L, Avirame K et al (2012) Electrical brain stimulation improves cognitive performance by modulating functional connectivity and task-specific activation. J Neurosci 32:1859–1866
74. Bikson M, Rahman A, Datta A (2012) computational models of transcranial direct current stimulation. Clin EEG Neurosci 43:176–183
75. Nitsche MA, Müller-Dahlhaus F, Paulus W, Ziemann U (2012) The pharmacology of neuroplasticity induced by non-invasive brain stimulation: building models for the clinical use of CNS active drugs. J Physiol 590:4641–4662
76. Wexler A A pragmatic analysis of the regulation of consumer transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) devices in the United States. J Law Biosci doi:10.1093/jlb/lsv039
77. Brunoni AR, Sampaio-Junior B, Moffa AH, Borrione L, Nogueira BS, Aparício LV et al (2015) The escitalopram versus electric current therapy for treating depression clinical study (ELECT-TDCS): rationale and study design of a non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Sao Paulo Med J 133:252–263
78. Pereira Junior Bde S, Tortella G, Lafer B, Nunes P, Benseñor IM, Lotufo PA et al (2015) The bipolar depression electrical treatment trial (BETTER): design, rationale, and objectives of a randomized, sham-controlled trial and data from the pilot study phase. Neural Plast 2015:684025