The effectiveness of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the brain (tDCS) on reducing depressive symptoms among people with Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is a common disorder characterized by prolonged periods of time, variety of symptoms, a high rate of recurrence, and lots of physical and mental disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of direct electrical stimulations of the brain on reducing the symptoms of depression among female students. Method: This research is a semi-experimental study, in which the subjects were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. These groups were accompanied by pretest, posttest and follow-ups. Thirty students were selected among patients referring to the clinic using a random assignment. They were then randomly assigned into two experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The Beck Depression Scale was used in the current study. The treatment sessions with a direct electrical stimulation of the brain (tDCS) included 20-min anodal stimulation of F3 region, and Kathodal stimulation of the right orbit with a current of 2 mA. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and a dependent t-test. Results: Analysis of the data using analysis of covariance showed that there is a significant difference between experimental and control groups in the rates of depression in the post-test phase. Also, the analysis of data using dependent t-test showed that there were no significant differences among female students at the post-test and follow-up phase. In other words, the effectiveness of direct electrical stimulation of the brain (tDCS) on depressive symptoms has a good stability over time. Conclusion: The results showed that electrical stimulation of the brain (tDCS) can reduce the symptoms of depression in patient with major depression. Hence, the recommend psychologists and psychotherapists to use direct electrical stimulation of the brain (tDCS) as an intervention method to prevent problems in patient with major depression.