A paucity of evidence in youth: The curious case of transcranial direct current stimulation for depression

A significant proportion of youth with depression do not respond to available treatment. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising third-line treatment in depressed adults, but evidence in youth seems scarce. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review on tDCS treatment for depression in children and adolescents. No published studies were found on the use of tDCS in youth with depression. Given the null-findings, no conclusion can be drawn about the effectiveness of tDCS treatment for adolescent depression. The reasons for this paucity of evidence in light of existing regulatory frameworks and technical challenges are discussed.

Automated summary

There is a lack of evidence on the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) treatment for adolescent depression, and no published studies were found on the use of tDCS in youth with depression. The reasons for this scarcity of evidence in light of existing regulatory frameworks and technical challenges are discussed.