A device resembling a swimming cap gently stimulates the brain by passing small amounts of current. This special device is touted to be an at-home remedy for depression, as seen in a remote clinical trial involving more than 150 people. This new piece of technology holds promise, as almost one-third of people suffering from depression do not respond to psychotherapy or antidepressants.
The non-invasive therapy is called transcranial direct current stimulation or tDCS. It stimulates areas of the brain that regulate mood with the help of a painless, weak electrical current delivered through electrodes placed on the scalp.
The trial has been described in Nature Medicine. In the trial, after ten weeks of regular treatment, an experimental group was treated using tDCS. This group showed a greater reduction in symptoms than the control group. In the trial, researchers Fu and her colleagues targeted the dorsolateral prefrontal complex, a brain region that plays a significant role in decision-making. People with depression have less activity in this region, and tDCS makes it easier for the brain cells to discharge.
The researchers trained 174 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder to use the tDCS apparatus, and then the patients were randomly allocated to a treatment and a control group. Those in the treatment group received a current of 2 milliamperes to the scalp for 30 minutes, 5 times a week for the first 3 weeks, and then 3 times a week for 7 weeks. After 10 weeks of treatment, the treatment group reported a 9.41-point decrease in depression symptoms, and 45% of them reported a reduction in symptoms, compared to just 22% in the control group.
However, this is not the first time tDCS has been put to the test. In fact, in a previous trial, it was found that tDCS doesn’t work for everyone. However, this clinical trial stands out because it is a home-based design, which eased the life of the participants, who didn’t have to go to a specialized clinic. The trial has opened new avenues in treating mental health issues at home, says Shawn McClintock, a clinical neuropsychologist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
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