Brain stimulation at home helps to treat depression
A device that delivers a small electrical current to the brain has beneficial effects in cases of depression that doesn't respond to drugs or therapy. Originally published by Miryam Naddaf on 21 October 2024 A healthy brain (fMRI image). Researchers are investigating the effects of stimulating regions of the brain linked to depression. Credit: Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute/Science Photo Library A remote clinical trial involving more than 150 people has shown that an experimental treatment for depression — which uses a swimming-cap-like device to gently stimulate the brain — can be effective when carried out at home . The non-invasive therapy , known as t ranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) , is designed to stimulate areas of the brain linked to mood regulation , and delivers a painless, weak electrical current through electrodes placed on the scalp . It could be a game-changer for the more than one-third of people with depressi...