Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Depression

Summary

Background: Depression is a common mental disorder characterized by persistent low mood and anhedonia. Pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments demonstrate only moderate efficacy. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques offer novel therapeutic approaches. Among these, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) holds advantages due to its simplicity, low cost, and minimal side effects, exhibiting good efficacy and tolerability in depression treatment. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), a core region of the cognitive control network, serves as a traditional target for non-invasive brain stimulation in depression and plays a crucial role in positive affect (PA) processing. Conversely, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), a central region of the default mode network, participates in negative self-referential processing and negative affect (NA) regulation, demonstrating potential as a novel therapeutic target. Objective: Given the distinct roles of DLPFC and DMPFC in separate affective regulation networks, this study aims to investigate the differential effects of different tDCS targets on emotional regulation in patients with depression. Design: This study employed a randomized, double-blind, controlled design. Participants diagnosed with depression will be randomly assigned to receive either effective tDCS targeting the left DLPFC or effective tDCS targeting the DMPFC. Primary outcome measures focus on changes in clinical symptom assessments.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

* The diagnosis meets the criteria for depression outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).
* Age between 18 and 65 years.
* Education level exceeding 5 years, with no significant hearing or visual impairments.
* Voluntary signing of informed consent and ability to cooperate with general demographic data collection and neuropsychological scale testing.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Age under 18 or over 65.
* Patients with neurological disorders such as epilepsy or severe physical illnesses.
* Patients with comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
* Patients unable to undergo tDCS treatment for any reason, including presence of ferromagnetic metal in the head or implanted medical devices in the head/neck region.
* Pregnant or lactating women.

Conditions1

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