Abstract
Objectives Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neurostimulation technique that has received increasing interest in the area of mood disorders over the last several years. While acute, double-blind, sham-controlled studies have already reported positive findings in terms of efficacy and safety for tDCS, follow-up data are lacking. This need prompted the present follow-up study, which assesses post-acute effects of tDCS (no maintenance stimulation was performed), in the mid-term, in a sample of major depressives. Methods After completing an acute, open trial of tDCS, 23 outpatients with either major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder entered a naturalistic follow-up (T1) with clinical evaluations at one week (T2), 1 month (T3), and 3 months (T4). A quantitative analysis of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total scores, through repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) (T1-T4) and paired t-test for comparing specific time points (T1-T2, T2-T3, and T3-T4), was performed. In addition, a qualitative analysis on the basis of treatment response and remission (HAM-D) was performed. Results Even though a progressive reduction of follow-up completers was observed from T2 to T4 (95.6% at T2, 65.2% at T3, and 47.8% at T4), the antidepressant effects of acute tDCS persisted over 3 months in almost half of the sample. Of note, no post-acute side effects emerged during the follow-up observation. The most frequent causes of drop-out from this study included major modifications in therapeutic regimen (30%) and poor adherence to follow-up visits (17%). Conclusions In this mid-term, open, follow-up study, tDCS showed mixed results. Further controlled studies are urgently needed to assess its effects beyond the acute phase.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 347-354 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | CNS Spectrums |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
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Keywords
- Bipolar disorder
- follow-up observation
- major depressive disorder
- poor response
- transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Augmentative transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in poor responder depressed patients : A follow-up study. / Dell'Osso, Bernardo; Dobrea, Cristina; Arici, Chiara; Benatti, Beatrice; Ferrucci, Roberta; Vergari, Maurizio; Priori, Alberto; Altamura, A. Carlo.
In: CNS Spectrums, Vol. 19, No. 4, 2014, p. 347-354.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Augmentative transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in poor responder depressed patients
T2 - A follow-up study
AU - Dell'Osso, Bernardo
AU - Dobrea, Cristina
AU - Arici, Chiara
AU - Benatti, Beatrice
AU - Ferrucci, Roberta
AU - Vergari, Maurizio
AU - Priori, Alberto
AU - Altamura, A. Carlo
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Objectives Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neurostimulation technique that has received increasing interest in the area of mood disorders over the last several years. While acute, double-blind, sham-controlled studies have already reported positive findings in terms of efficacy and safety for tDCS, follow-up data are lacking. This need prompted the present follow-up study, which assesses post-acute effects of tDCS (no maintenance stimulation was performed), in the mid-term, in a sample of major depressives. Methods After completing an acute, open trial of tDCS, 23 outpatients with either major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder entered a naturalistic follow-up (T1) with clinical evaluations at one week (T2), 1 month (T3), and 3 months (T4). A quantitative analysis of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total scores, through repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) (T1-T4) and paired t-test for comparing specific time points (T1-T2, T2-T3, and T3-T4), was performed. In addition, a qualitative analysis on the basis of treatment response and remission (HAM-D) was performed. Results Even though a progressive reduction of follow-up completers was observed from T2 to T4 (95.6% at T2, 65.2% at T3, and 47.8% at T4), the antidepressant effects of acute tDCS persisted over 3 months in almost half of the sample. Of note, no post-acute side effects emerged during the follow-up observation. The most frequent causes of drop-out from this study included major modifications in therapeutic regimen (30%) and poor adherence to follow-up visits (17%). Conclusions In this mid-term, open, follow-up study, tDCS showed mixed results. Further controlled studies are urgently needed to assess its effects beyond the acute phase.
AB - Objectives Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neurostimulation technique that has received increasing interest in the area of mood disorders over the last several years. While acute, double-blind, sham-controlled studies have already reported positive findings in terms of efficacy and safety for tDCS, follow-up data are lacking. This need prompted the present follow-up study, which assesses post-acute effects of tDCS (no maintenance stimulation was performed), in the mid-term, in a sample of major depressives. Methods After completing an acute, open trial of tDCS, 23 outpatients with either major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder entered a naturalistic follow-up (T1) with clinical evaluations at one week (T2), 1 month (T3), and 3 months (T4). A quantitative analysis of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total scores, through repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) (T1-T4) and paired t-test for comparing specific time points (T1-T2, T2-T3, and T3-T4), was performed. In addition, a qualitative analysis on the basis of treatment response and remission (HAM-D) was performed. Results Even though a progressive reduction of follow-up completers was observed from T2 to T4 (95.6% at T2, 65.2% at T3, and 47.8% at T4), the antidepressant effects of acute tDCS persisted over 3 months in almost half of the sample. Of note, no post-acute side effects emerged during the follow-up observation. The most frequent causes of drop-out from this study included major modifications in therapeutic regimen (30%) and poor adherence to follow-up visits (17%). Conclusions In this mid-term, open, follow-up study, tDCS showed mixed results. Further controlled studies are urgently needed to assess its effects beyond the acute phase.
KW - Bipolar disorder
KW - follow-up observation
KW - major depressive disorder
KW - poor response
KW - transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84906552529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84906552529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1092852913000497
DO - 10.1017/S1092852913000497
M3 - Article
C2 - 23962405
AN - SCOPUS:84906552529
VL - 19
SP - 347
EP - 354
JO - CNS Spectrums
JF - CNS Spectrums
SN - 1092-8529
IS - 4
ER -