Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression during Pregnancy: Scientific Evidence and What Is Being Said in the Media-A Systematic Review

doi:10.3390/brainsci8080155

Review

. 2018 Aug 14;8(8):155.

doi: 10.3390/brainsci8080155.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression during Pregnancy: Scientific Evidence and What Is Being Said in the Media-A Systematic Review

Anna Katharina Kurzeck¹, Beatrice Kirsch², Elif Weidinger³, Frank Padberg⁴, Ulrich Palm⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. annakatharina.kurzeck@t-online.de.
² Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. beatrice.kirsch@med.uni-muenchen.de.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. elif.weidinger@med.uni-muenchen.de.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. frank.padberg@med.uni-muenchen.de.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. ulrich.palm@med.uni-muenchen.de.

PMID: 30110930
PMCID: PMC6119899
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8080155

Review

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression during Pregnancy: Scientific Evidence and What Is Being Said in the Media-A Systematic Review

Anna Katharina Kurzeck et al. Brain Sci. 2018.

. 2018 Aug 14;8(8):155.

doi: 10.3390/brainsci8080155.

Authors

Anna Katharina Kurzeck¹, Beatrice Kirsch², Elif Weidinger³, Frank Padberg⁴, Ulrich Palm⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. annakatharina.kurzeck@t-online.de.
² Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. beatrice.kirsch@med.uni-muenchen.de.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. elif.weidinger@med.uni-muenchen.de.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. frank.padberg@med.uni-muenchen.de.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Ludwig-Maximilian University, 80336 Munich, Germany. ulrich.palm@med.uni-muenchen.de.

PMID: 30110930
PMCID: PMC6119899
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8080155

Abstract

Major depression is the most frequent morbidity in pregnancy. The first-line therapies, psychopharmacologic treatment and psychotherapy, are either insufficient or may cause severe or teratogenic adverse events. As a result of its local limitation to the patient's brain, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could potentially be an ideal treatment for pregnant women with depression. A literature search was conducted in medical databases, globally published newspapers, search engines, and clinical trial registers to collect all articles on tDCS for the treatment of depression during pregnancy. The aim of this review was to investigate the scientific evidence of tDCS use for depression during pregnancy and to compare these results with the textual and emotional perception in the media as interventions during pregnancy are under particular surveillance. We detected 13 medical articles dealing with tDCS for depression in pregnancy. Overall, the scientific evidence as well as articles in the media for tDCS in pregnancy are sparse, but promising. Further studies are required in this specifically vulnerable population of pregnant women to generate evidence. It is likely that public interest will increase when the results of a pilot study in Canada are published.

Keywords: antenatal; depression; non-invasive brain stimulation; pregnancy; pregnant; tDCS; transcranial direct current stimulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

U.P. received paid speakership from the NeuroCareGroup and has a private practice with the NeuroCareGroup, Munich, Germany. F.P. received research support from NeuroConn GmbH, Ilmenau, Germany, and Brainsway Inc., Jerusalem, Israel, as well as a speaker’s honorarium from Mag & More GmbH, Munich, Germany, and the NeuroCareGroup.

Figures

**Figure 1**
PRISMA flow diagram. tDCS—transcranial direct current stimulation.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

1. WHO Maternal Mental Health. [(accessed on 26 April 2018)]; Available online: http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/maternal_mental_health/en/
1. Vigod S., Dennis C.L., Daskalakis Z., Murphy K., Ray J., Oberlander T., Somerton S., Hussain-Shamsy N., Blumberger D. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for treatment of major depression during pregnancy: Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2014;15:366. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-366. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Grigoriadis S., Vonderporten E.H., Mamisashvili L., Tomlinson G., Dennis C.L., Koren G., Steiner M., Mousmanis P., Cheung A., Radford K., et al. The Impact of Maternal Depression during Pregnancy on Perinatal Outcomes. J. Clin. Psychiatry. 2013;74:e321–e341. doi: 10.4088/JCP.12r07968. - DOI - PubMed
1. Muzik M., Marcus S.M., Heringhausen J.E., Flynn H. When Depression Complicates Childbearing: Guidelines for Screening and Treatment during Antenatal and Postpartum Obstetric Care. Obstet. Gynecol. Clin. N. Am. 2009;36:771–788. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2009.10.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
1. Vigod S.N., Wilson C.A., Howard L.M. Depression in pregnancy. BMJ. 2016;352:i1547. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i1547. - DOI - PubMed

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[1] WHO Maternal Mental Health. [(accessed on 26 April 2018)]; Available online: http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/maternal_mental_health/en/

[2] WHO Maternal Mental Health. [(accessed on 26 April 2018)]; Available online: http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/maternal_mental_health/en/

[3] Vigod S., Dennis C.L., Daskalakis Z., Murphy K., Ray J., Oberlander T., Somerton S., Hussain-Shamsy N., Blumberger D. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for treatment of major depression during pregnancy: Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2014;15:366. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-366. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[4] Vigod S., Dennis C.L., Daskalakis Z., Murphy K., Ray J., Oberlander T., Somerton S., Hussain-Shamsy N., Blumberger D. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for treatment of major depression during pregnancy: Study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2014;15:366. doi: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-366. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[5] Grigoriadis S., Vonderporten E.H., Mamisashvili L., Tomlinson G., Dennis C.L., Koren G., Steiner M., Mousmanis P., Cheung A., Radford K., et al. The Impact of Maternal Depression during Pregnancy on Perinatal Outcomes. J. Clin. Psychiatry. 2013;74:e321–e341. doi: 10.4088/JCP.12r07968. - DOI - PubMed

[6] Grigoriadis S., Vonderporten E.H., Mamisashvili L., Tomlinson G., Dennis C.L., Koren G., Steiner M., Mousmanis P., Cheung A., Radford K., et al. The Impact of Maternal Depression during Pregnancy on Perinatal Outcomes. J. Clin. Psychiatry. 2013;74:e321–e341. doi: 10.4088/JCP.12r07968. - DOI - PubMed

[7] Muzik M., Marcus S.M., Heringhausen J.E., Flynn H. When Depression Complicates Childbearing: Guidelines for Screening and Treatment during Antenatal and Postpartum Obstetric Care. Obstet. Gynecol. Clin. N. Am. 2009;36:771–788. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2009.10.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[8] Muzik M., Marcus S.M., Heringhausen J.E., Flynn H. When Depression Complicates Childbearing: Guidelines for Screening and Treatment during Antenatal and Postpartum Obstetric Care. Obstet. Gynecol. Clin. N. Am. 2009;36:771–788. doi: 10.1016/j.ogc.2009.10.006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

[9] Vigod S.N., Wilson C.A., Howard L.M. Depression in pregnancy. BMJ. 2016;352:i1547. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i1547. - DOI - PubMed

[10] Vigod S.N., Wilson C.A., Howard L.M. Depression in pregnancy. BMJ. 2016;352:i1547. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i1547. - DOI - PubMed

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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression during Pregnancy: Scientific Evidence and What Is Being Said in the Media-A Systematic Review

Affiliations

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Depression during Pregnancy: Scientific Evidence and What Is Being Said in the Media-A Systematic Review

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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