scholarly journals Transcranial Brain Stimulation Techniques For Major Depression: Should We Extend TMS Lessons to tDCS?

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo Dell’Osso ◽  
A. Carlo Altamura
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Poor Response ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
History Of ◽  
Patient’S History

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive brain stimulation techniques that, by means of magnetic fields and low intensity electrical current, respectively, aim to interefere with and modulate cortical excitability, at the level of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, in patients with major depression and poor response to standard antidepressants. While the clinical efficacy of TMS in major depression has been extensively investigated over the last 10 years, tDCS has attracted research interest only in the last years, with fewer randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in the field. Nevertheless, in spite of the different rationale and mechanism of action of the two techniques, tDCS recent acquisitions, in relation to the treatment of major depression, seem to parallel those previously obtained with TMS, in terms of treatment duration to achieve optimal benefit and patient's history of drug-resistance. After briefly introducing the two techniques, the article examines possible common pathways of clinical use for TMS and tDCS, emerging from recent RCTs and likely orienting future investigation with non invasive brain stimulation for the treatment of major depression.

scholarly journals Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: A Novel Neuromodulation Technique?

2014 ◽  
pp. iv
Author(s):  
Sujit Sarkhel
Keyword(s):  
Major Depression ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Direct Electrical Current

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a minimally invasive form of brainstimulation that uses direct electrical current to alter cortical excitability. During thisprocess, a weak, direct electrical current (1 to 2 mA) is applied using scalp surface electrodes.Anodal stimulation increases cortical excitability and cathodal stimulation decreases it. Thechanges in cortical excitability probably arise from the depolarization and hyperpolarization ofneurons.1 Interest in this treatment modality had begun way back in the 1960s but graduallywaned. Renewed interest began emerging in the 1990s following spurt in neuromodulationresearch using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Based on the theory of hypoactivityin left prefrontal cortex in depression, anodal tDCS has been applied to the left hemisphere toincrease activity and cathodal tDCS to the right hemisphere to decrease activity in order toresolve depression. Several open label and randomized controlled trials have been conductedto examine the efficacy of tDCS in treating major depression some of which have yieldedpositive results.2, 3, 4, tDCS has also been tried in Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder and substance use. 5, 6,7 tDCS is a cheap and non-invasive techniquewith minimal side effects like headache and itchiness and redness at the site of stimulation.It will require few years of systematic research to find out whether tDCS emerges as a cheap,non-invasive and above all, effective method for treatment of psychiatric disorders or it goesinto oblivion as another “fancy” brain gadget!REFERENCES1. Bindman LJ, Lippold OC, Redfearn JW. The action of brief polarizing currents on the cerebral cortex ofthe rat (1) during current flow and (2) in the production of long-lasting after-effects. J Physiol. 1964; 172 :369-382.2. Boggio PS, Rigonatti SP, Ribeiro RB, et al. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial on the efficacy of cortical direct currentstimulation for the treatment of major depression. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2008; 11 : 249-254.3. Brunoni AR, Ferrucci R, Bortolomasi M, et al. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in unipolar vs. bipolar depressivedisorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011; 35 : 96-101.4. Fregni F, Boggio PS, Nitsche MA, et al. Cognitive effects of repeated sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation in patientswith depression. Depress Anxiety. 2006; 23 : 482-484.5. Kuo MF, Paulus W, Nitsche MA. Therapeutic effects of non-invasive brain stimulation with direct currents (tDCS) in neuropsychiatricdiseases.Neuroimage. 2014; 85 : 948-9606. Jansen JM, Daams JG, Koeter MW, etal.Effects of non-invasive neurostimulation on craving : a meta-analysis. Neuroscience BiobehavRev 2013; 37 : 2472-24807. Marin MF, Camprodon JA, Dougherty DD, et al. Device-based brain stimulation to augment fear extinction : implications for PTSDtreatment and beyond. Depress Anxiety 2014; 10 : 1-10

scholarly journals Head models of healthy and depressed adults for simulating the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nya Mehnwolo Boayue ◽  
Gábor Csifcsák ◽  
Oula Puonti ◽  
Axel Thielscher ◽  
Matthias Mittner
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The Past ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

During the past decade, it became clear that the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are substantially influenced by variations in individual head and brain anatomy. In addition to structural variations in the healthy, several psychiatric disorders are characterized by anatomical alterations that are likely to further constrain the intracerebral effects of NIBS. Here, we present high-resolution realistic head models derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data of 19 healthy adults and 19 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). By using a freely available software package for modelling the effects of different NIBS protocols, we show that our head models are well-suited for assessing inter-individual and between-group variability in the magnitude and focality of tDCS-induced electric fields for two protocols targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

scholarly journals Therapeutic non-invasive brain stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: rationale, methods and experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (10) ◽  
pp. 1131-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan C Edmond ◽  
Charlotte J Stagg ◽  
Martin R Turner
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Therapeutic Approach ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Pathological Changes ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

The neurodegenerative syndrome amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterised by increased cortical excitability, thought to reflect pathological changes in the balance of local excitatory and inhibitory neuronal influences. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) has been shown to modulate cortical activity, with some protocols showing effects that outlast the stimulation by months. NIBS has been suggested as a potential therapeutic approach for disorders associated with changes in cortical neurophysiology, including ALS. This article reviews NIBS methodology, rationale for its application to ALS and progress to date.

scholarly journals Head models of healthy and depressed adults for simulating the electric fields of non-invasive electric brain stimulation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nya Mehnwolo Boayue ◽  
Gábor Csifcsák ◽  
Oula Puonti ◽  
Axel Thielscher ◽  
Matthias Mittner
Keyword(s):  
Electric Fields ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Structural Variations ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The Past ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Electric Brain Stimulation

During the past decade, it became clear that the electric field elicited by non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are substantially influenced by variations in individual head and brain anatomy. In addition to structural variations in the healthy, several psychiatric disorders are characterized by anatomical alterations that are likely to further constrain the intracerebral effects of NIBS. Here, we present high-resolution realistic head models derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data of 19 healthy adults and 19 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD). By using a freely available software package for modelling the electric fields induced by different NIBS protocols, we show that our head models are well-suited for assessing inter-individual and between-group variability in the magnitude and focality of tDCS-induced electric fields for two protocols targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

scholarly journals Neural correlates of visual aesthetic appreciation: insights from non-invasive brain stimulation

2019 ◽  
Vol 238 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Zaira Cattaneo
Keyword(s):  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Aesthetic Appreciation ◽  
Lateral Occipital Complex ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Extrastriate Body Area ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Cortical Regions

AbstractDuring the last decade, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have been increasingly employed in the field of neuroaesthetics research to shed light on the possible causal role of different brain regions contributing to aesthetic appreciation. Here, I review studies that have employed transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to investigate neurocognitive mechanisms mediating visual aesthetic appreciation for different stimuli categories (faces, bodies, paintings). The review first considers studies that have assessed the possible causal contribution of cortical regions in mediating aesthetic appreciation along the visual ventral and dorsal pathways (i.e., the extrastriate body area, the motion-sensitive region V5/MT+ , the lateral occipital complex and the posterior parietal cortex). It then considers TMS and tDCS studies that have targeted premotor and motor regions, as well as other areas involved in body and facial expression processing (such as the superior temporal sulcus and the somatosensory cortex) to assess their role in aesthetic evaluation. Finally, it discusses studies that have targeted medial and dorsolateral prefrontal regions leading to significant changes in aesthetic appreciation for both biological stimuli (faces and bodies) and artworks. Possible mechanisms mediating stimulation effects on aesthetic judgments are discussed. A final section considers both methodological limitations of the reviewed studies (including levels of statistical power and the need for further replication) and the future potential for non-invasive brain stimulation to significantly contribute to the understanding of the neural bases of visual aesthetic experiences.

scholarly journals Contribution of the right temporoparietal junction and ventromedial prefrontal cortex to theory of mind in autism: A randomized, sham-controlled tDCS study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Salehinejad ◽  
Nasim Paknia ◽  
Amir Hossein Hosseinpour ◽  
Fatemeh Yavari ◽  
Carmelo M. Vicario ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Temporoparietal Junction ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Children With Asd

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute subjective mental states to oneself and others and is significantly impaired in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A frontal-posterior network of regions including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is involved in ToM. Previous studies show an underactivation of these regions in ASD. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation method for causally investigating brain-behavior relationships via induction of cortical excitability alterations. tDCS, mostly over the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, has been increasingly applied for improving behavioral problems in ASD. Here we investigated the contribution of the vmPFC and right TPJ in ToM abilities of ASD children via tDCS in a pilot study. Sixteen children with ASD (mean age = 10.7±1.9) underwent three tDCS sessions (1 mA, 20 min) in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled design. Stimulation protocols included: i) anodal vmPFC tDCS, ii) anodal r-TPJ tDCS, and iii) sham tDCS. ToM abilities were explored during tDCS using the Theory of Mind Test (TOMT). Our results show that activation of the vmPFC with anodal tDCS significantly improved ToM in children with ASD compared to both, r-TPJ tDCS and sham stimulation. Specifically, precursors of ToM (e.g. emotion recognition, perception and imitation) and elementary ToM skills (e.g. first-order mental state reasoning) were significantly improved by anodal vmPFC tDCS. Based on these results, the vmPFC is a potential target region for the reduction of ASD symptoms via non-invasive brain stimulation, which should be examined in larger detail in future studies

scholarly journals Prefrontal brain stimulation during food-related inhibition training: effects on food craving, food consumption and inhibitory control

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 181186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jemma Sedgmond ◽  
Natalia S. Lawrence ◽  
Frederick Verbruggen ◽  
Sinead Morrison ◽  
Christopher D. Chambers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Food Craving ◽  
Single Session ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Predominantly Female ◽  
Inhibition Training ◽  
Healthy Participants

Modulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity using non-invasive brain stimulation has been shown to reduce food craving as well as food consumption. Using a preregistered design, we examined whether bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the DLPFC could reduce food craving and consumption in healthy participants when administered alongside the cognitive target of inhibitory control training. Participants ( N = 172) received either active or sham tDCS (2 mA; anode F4, cathode F3) while completing a food-related Go/No-Go task. State food craving, ad-lib food consumption and response inhibition were evaluated. Compared with sham stimulation, we found no evidence for an effect of active tDCS on any of these outcome measures in a predominantly female sample. Our findings raise doubts about the effectiveness of single-session tDCS on food craving and consumption. Consideration of individual differences, improvements in tDCS protocols and multi-session testing are discussed.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques to Reduce Violence Proneness by Interfering in Anger and Irritability

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel Romero-Martínez ◽  
Sara Bressanutti ◽  
Luis Moya-Albiol
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Closed Head Injury ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The Right ◽  
Meta Analyses

The field of neurocriminology has proposed several treatments (e.g., pharmacological, brain surgery, androgen-deprivation therapy, neurofeedback) to reduce violence proneness, but unfortunately, their effectiveness has been limited due to their side-effects. Therefore, it is necessary to explore alternative techniques to improve patients’ behavioural regulation with minimal undesirable effects. In this regard, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, which are based on applying changing magnetic fields or electric currents to interfere with cortical excitability, have revealed their usefulness in alleviating the symptomatology of several mental disorders. However, to our knowledge, there are no reviews that assess whether these techniques are useful for reducing violence proneness. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria using the following databases: PsycINFO, PubMed, Dialnet, Psicodoc, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Library. We initially identified 3746 entries, and eventually included 56 publications. Most of the studies were unanimous in concluding that the application of these techniques over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was not sufficient to promote anger and irritability reductions in euthymic individuals of both genders. Nevertheless, the application of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, especially transcranial direct current stimulation, over the right PFC seemed to reduce violent reactions in these individuals by interfering with the interpretation of the unfavourable situations (e.g., threating signals) or inner states that evoked anger. In antisocial and pathological populations, the conclusions were provided by a few pilot studies with important methodological weaknesses. The main conclusion of these studies was that bilateral stimulation of the PFC satisfactorily reduced anger and irritability only in inmates, patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), people who suffered a closed-head injury, and agitated patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, combining these techniques with risperidone considerably reduced aggressiveness in these patients. Therefore, it is necessary to be cautious about the benefits of these techniques to control anger, due the methodological weaknesses of these studies. Nonetheless, they offer valuable opportunities to prevent violence by designing new treatments combining brain stimulation with current strategies, such as psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, in order to promote lasting changes.

tDCS dans le traitement de la dépression : un exemple de recherche clinique translationnelle

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (S3) ◽  
pp. 668-668
Author(s):  
E. Haffen
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Direct Current ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Cognitive Effects ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Technological Advances

Since the discovery of psychopharmacological treatments in the early 1950s, followed by the development of second-generation antidepressants, biological psychiatry has not achieved much progress. Recent technological advances in the field of non-invasive brain stimulation open new perspectives in the treatment of depressive disorders (MDD). Amongst them, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) modulates cortical excitability and induces long-lasting effects. Here, we aimed at evaluating whether tDCS has potential to be developed as an innovative treatment in psychiatry. We conducted several studies in humans and animal models, exploring clinical and cognitive effects, especially in MDD. Our findings indicated beneficial clinical effects of tDCS. The data published to date are promising and supports the use of tDCS as a treatment for MDD. However, its place regarding other treatments still has to be determined before becoming a routine clinical treatment.

scholarly journals Blinding is compromised for transcranial direct current stimulation at 1 mA for 20 minutes in young healthy adults

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsolt Turi ◽  
Gábor Csifcsák ◽  
Nya Mehnwolo Boayue ◽  
Per Aslaksen ◽  
Andrea Antal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Direct Current ◽  
Brain Stimulation ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Direct Current Stimulation ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Stimulation Method ◽  
Subjective Reports

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation method that is frequently used to study cortical excitability changes and their impact on cognitive functions in humans. While most stimulators are capable of operating in double-blind mode, the amount of discomfort experienced during tDCS may break blinding. Therefore, specifically designed sham stimulation protocols are being used. The "fade-in, short-stimulation, fade-out" (FSF) protocol has been used in hundreds of studies and is commonly believed to be indistinguishable from real stimulation applied at 1 mA for 20 minutes. We analyzed subjective reports of 192 volunteers, who either received real tDCS (n=96) or FSF tDCS (n=96). Participants reported more discomfort for real tDCS and correctly guessed the condition above chance-level. These findings indicate that FSF does not ensure complete blinding and that better active sham protocols are needed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document