Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity
Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique involving administration of well-tolerated electrical current to the brain through scalp electrodes. TDCS may improve symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders, but mixed results from recent clinical tri...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29792-6 |
| _version_ | 1797865013805842432 |
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| author | Mayank A Jog Cole Anderson Antoni Kubicki Michael Boucher Amber Leaver Gerhard Hellemann Marco Iacoboni Roger Woods Katherine Narr |
| author_facet | Mayank A Jog Cole Anderson Antoni Kubicki Michael Boucher Amber Leaver Gerhard Hellemann Marco Iacoboni Roger Woods Katherine Narr |
| author_sort | Mayank A Jog |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique involving administration of well-tolerated electrical current to the brain through scalp electrodes. TDCS may improve symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders, but mixed results from recent clinical trials underscore the need to demonstrate that tDCS can modulate clinically relevant brain systems over time in patients. Here, we analyzed longitudinal structural MRI data from a randomized, double-blind, parallel-design clinical trial in depression (NCT03556124, N = 59) to investigate whether serial tDCS individually targeted to the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can induce neurostructural changes. Significant (FWEc p < 0.05) treatment-related gray matter changes were observed with active high-definition (HD) tDCS relative to sham tDCS within the left DLPFC stimulation target. No changes were observed with active conventional tDCS. A follow-up analysis within individual treatment groups revealed significant gray matter increases with active HD-tDCS in brain regions functionally connected with the stimulation target, including the bilateral DLPFC, bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, and the right hippocampus, thalamus and left caudate brain regions. Integrity of blinding was verified, no significant differences in stimulation-related discomfort were observed between treatment groups, and tDCS treatments were not augmented by any other adjunct treatments. Overall, these results demonstrate that serial HD-tDCS leads to neurostructural changes at a predetermined brain target in depression and suggest that such plasticity effects may propagate over brain networks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:02:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eddca2adbc6b44bbbffd5ae7079f2cbe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T23:02:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-eddca2adbc6b44bbbffd5ae7079f2cbe2023-03-22T10:57:17ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-02-011311910.1038/s41598-023-29792-6Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticityMayank A Jog0Cole Anderson1Antoni Kubicki2Michael Boucher3Amber Leaver4Gerhard Hellemann5Marco Iacoboni6Roger Woods7Katherine Narr8Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Diagnostic Imaging Sciences Center, University of WashingtonDepartment of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLADepartment of Radiology, Northwestern UniversityDepartment of Biostatistics, University of Alabama at BirminghamDepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLADepartment of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)Abstract Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique involving administration of well-tolerated electrical current to the brain through scalp electrodes. TDCS may improve symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders, but mixed results from recent clinical trials underscore the need to demonstrate that tDCS can modulate clinically relevant brain systems over time in patients. Here, we analyzed longitudinal structural MRI data from a randomized, double-blind, parallel-design clinical trial in depression (NCT03556124, N = 59) to investigate whether serial tDCS individually targeted to the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) can induce neurostructural changes. Significant (FWEc p < 0.05) treatment-related gray matter changes were observed with active high-definition (HD) tDCS relative to sham tDCS within the left DLPFC stimulation target. No changes were observed with active conventional tDCS. A follow-up analysis within individual treatment groups revealed significant gray matter increases with active HD-tDCS in brain regions functionally connected with the stimulation target, including the bilateral DLPFC, bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, and the right hippocampus, thalamus and left caudate brain regions. Integrity of blinding was verified, no significant differences in stimulation-related discomfort were observed between treatment groups, and tDCS treatments were not augmented by any other adjunct treatments. Overall, these results demonstrate that serial HD-tDCS leads to neurostructural changes at a predetermined brain target in depression and suggest that such plasticity effects may propagate over brain networks.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29792-6 |
| spellingShingle | Mayank A Jog Cole Anderson Antoni Kubicki Michael Boucher Amber Leaver Gerhard Hellemann Marco Iacoboni Roger Woods Katherine Narr Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity Scientific Reports |
| title | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity |
| title_full | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity |
| title_fullStr | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity |
| title_short | Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in depression induces structural plasticity |
| title_sort | transcranial direct current stimulation tdcs in depression induces structural plasticity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29792-6 |
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