Journal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
Volume 174, Issue 7, Pages 628-639Publisher
AMER PSYCHIATRIC PUBLISHING, INC
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16090996
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Funding
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs [IK2 CX000724]
- Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
- NIMH [R01 MH101547, MH111889]
- Foundation of Hope
- Human Frontier Science Program
- National Institute on Drug Abuse [R01 DA038984]
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Harvard Brain Science Initiative
- Picower Family Foundation
- Neuronetics
- Cervel Neurotech
- Neosync
- Tal Medical
- Strata Solar
- Harvard tDCS
- Medtronic
- Janssen
- Magstim
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Neurostimulation is rapidly emerging as an important treatment modality for psychiatric disorders. One of the fastest-growing and least-regulated approaches to noninvasive therapeutic stimulation involves the application of weak electrical currents. Widespread enthusiasm for low-intensity transcranial electrical current stimulation (tCS) is reflected by the recent surge in direct-to-consumer device marketing, do-it-yourself enthusiasm, and an escalating number of clinical trials. In the wake of this rapid growth, clinicians may lack sufficient information about tCS to inform their clinical practices. Interpretation of tCS clinical trial data is aided by familiarity with basic neurophysiological principles, potential mechanisms of action of tCS, and the complicated regulatory history governing tCS devices. A growing literature includes randomized controlled trials of tCS for major depression, schizophrenia, cognitive disorders, and substance use disorders. The relative ease of use and abundant access to tCS may represent a broad-reaching and important advance for future mental health care. Evidence supports application of one type of tCS, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for major depression. However, tDCS devices do not have regulatory approval for treating medical disorders, evidence is largely inconclusive for other therapeutic areas, and their use is associated with some physical and psychiatric risks. One unexpected finding to arise from this review is that the use of cranial electrotherapy stimulation devices-the only category of tCS devices cleared for use in psychiatric disorders-is supported by low-quality evidence.
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