J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2018 May;57(2):119-132. 10.4306/jknpa.2018.57.2.119.

Therapeutic Application of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Depression

• Chae JH

• KMID: 2419259
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2018.57.2.119

Abstract

Despite the fact that pharmacotherapy depressive disorders have proven efficacy, a substantial number of patients are resistant to conventional management. As neuroscientific research about pathophysiology of depression have accumulated, repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have emerged as an important mechanism- based treatment modality. This overview provides a review of therapeutic application of rTMS and tDCS in patients with depression. The clinical and basic studies of rTMS and tDCS in depression were reviewed and integrated using a literature review and interview with experts. rTMS is a noninvasive procedure of a localized pulsed magnetic field to the surface of the head to cause a depolarization of neurons in the brain cortex. tDCS has a mechanism of modulating cortical excitability in a polarity-specific manner without eliciting action potentials. rTMS and tDCS seem promising for treating depression. Although therapeutic parameters and further technical improvement remain to be systematically investigated, rTMS and tDCS would be a safe and effective intervention to treat depression.

Keyword

Repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Depression

MeSH Terms

Action Potentials
Brain
Depression*
Depressive Disorder
Drug Therapy
Head
Humans
Magnetic Fields
Neurons
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation*

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Clinical setup for repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation.

• 

  Fig. 2. Clinical setup for transcranial direct current stimulation.

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