The Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Various Mental Disorders: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Context: Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a non-invasive method to stimulate the brain, which has recently been used to treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the most widely used tES protocols. This study aimed to review the effectiveness of tDCS for the treatment of various mental disorders. Evidence Acquisition: The present study is a narrative review type, for which more than 55 articles and scientific reports were downloaded using MeSH terms related to the subject of the study by reliable and international databases. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 studies were selected, and the results of those studies were recorded. Results: Transcranial direct current stimulation significantly affected the treatment of various mental disorders, including depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety disorders. In addition, this treatment method improved the symptoms of each of the aforementioned mental disorders. Conclusions: Based on the findings, the use of tDCS can be effective in improving mental disorders. However, it seems necessary to conduct more studies to achieve reassuring findings due to limited results in some areas.