Psychiatria Danubina, Vol. 35 No. 1, 2023.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.24869/psyd.2023.33
TOLERABILITY AND SAFETY OF 219 TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (tDCS) 2.0 mA SESSIONS IN ADULT PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
Adam Wysokiński
orcid.org/0000-0002-6159-6579
; Medical University of Lodz, Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotic Disorders, Łódź, Poland
Abstract
Introduction: The objective of the study was to evaluate safety and tolerability of tDCS treatment in schizophrenia patients. Our
results confirm already established evidence that tDCS is a very safe and well tolerated method of non-invasive brain stimulation for
patients with schizophrenia.
Subjects and methods: Database of 219 tDCS sessions in patients with paranoid schizophrenia has been analyzed.
Results: During 219 tDCS sessions there were no serious adverse effects. All adverse effects were mild to moderate and
transitory and the most frequent were: itching/tingling (81%), burning (53%) or heat sensation (48%) and skin reddening (35%).
Itching/tingling and burning sensation were also frequently reported as at least moderately severe. All major adverse events
(itching/tingling, burning/heat sensation) were more often localized by patients under the anodal pad. Men were more prone to
experience some adverse events (itching/tingling, burning/heat sensation, skin reddening, metallic taste and tiredness). Most of the
adverse events had their onset at the beginning of tDCS session, resolved by the end of tDCS session (with the exception of skin
reddening, which recovered within 30 minutes after stimulation) and were associated with mild or moderate distress.
Conclusion: Our results confirm already established evidence that tDCS is a very safe and well tolerated method of non-invasive
brain stimulation for patients with schizophrenia.
Keywords
transcranial direct current stimulation; tDCS; schizophrenia; safety
Hrčak ID:
307218
URI
Publication date:
17.4.2023.
Visits: 350 *