Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation May Improve Outcomes in Patients With Bipolar Depression

Patients with bipolar depression who are not responding to pharmacotherapy may benefit from add-on transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), according to astudy inJAMA Psychiatry. tDCS is a low-cost, noninvasive technique that applies weak, direct currents into the brain via electrodes placed over the scalp.In this small study, patients with bipolar depression who received active tDCS showed superior improvement after six weeks of treatment compared with those who received sham treatment. Additionally, active tDCS did not induce more manic/hypomanic episodes —which the authors noted is a significant concern when treating bipolar depression.Bernardo Sampaio-Junior, M.D., of the University of S ão Paulo and colleagues recruited patients with type I or II bipolar disorder who were experiencing a major depressive episode and receiving a stable pharmacological regimen. Only those aged 18 to 65 with Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) scores higher than 17 and who did not show a clin ical response after one or more pharmacotherapies in the acute depressive episode were included in the trial.During tDCS sessions, patients were fitted with electrodes over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) —a brain area whose metabolism increases after successful antidepressant treatment. The patients received 10 consecutive daily 30-minute, 2-mA sessions of active or sham tDCS on weekdays, followed by two sessions at weeks 4 and 6. Sham tDCS was delivered u...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: bipolar depression bipolar disorder dorsolateral prefrontal cortex Hamilton Depression Rating Scale JAMA Psychiatry tDCS Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Source Type: research