New Developments in the Treatment of Depression with tDCS

Abstract

Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common, debilitating and refractory mental disorder. The limited efficacy of pharmacotherapy has caused a growing interest in new forms of interventions like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Although tDCS is one of the most studied forms of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) in the treatment of depression, results from trials are mixed and modest. This heterogeneity in efficacy outcomes is possibly due to the use of different treatment protocols and clinical characteristics of the sample. This chapter gathers the current state of the evidence on tDCS in depression treatment as a monotherapy and in combination with pharmacotherapy or cognitive interventions. It also covers the effects on cognition outcomes in depressed patients and the safety aspects of the technique. Future directions are considered, particularly home-based tDCS, the use of biomarkers to guide treatment and computational modelling to individualise stimulation parameters.