Transcranial direct current stimulation as an adjuvant in the improvement of symptoms of depression: A quasi-experimental design study.

Abstract

Aims To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in patients with major depression at the “Fray Bernardino Álvarez” Psychiatric Hospital. Method A pre/post intervention study, Patients attended in the outpatient clinic or continuous hospitalization with a diagnosis of major depression efficacy was measure with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The tDCS was applied in the region corresponding to the left lateral prefrontal cortex on the anode and the cathode on the right supraorbital region. Descriptive statistics were performed for continuous and discrete variables as appropriate, t-test, chi-square, significance p<0.05 was accepted. Results 39 patients were included, 100% of patients reported symptom improvement, the mean initial versus final scores on the HDRS and BDI scales were 19.5±7.4 versus 9.9±6 and 25.4±8.8 versus 14.4±7.3, respectively with statistically significant differences (p=<0.05) for both scales. Discussion Transcranial direct current stimulation is an effective therapeutic option in the reduction of depressive symptoms as an adjunct to pharmacological treatment. The intervention did not cause adverse reactions requiring additional medication.