Enhancement of Affective Processing Induced by Bifrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Patients With Major Depression
Open accessAbstract
Objective Our aim was to evaluate whether one single section of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a neuromodulatory technique that noninvasively modifies cortical excitability, could induce acute changes in the negative attentional bias in patients with major depression.Subjects and methods Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, parallel design enrolling 24 age-, gender-matched, drug-free, depressed subjects. Anode and cathode were placed over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. We performed a word Emotional Stroop Task collecting the response times (RTs) for positive-, negative-, and neutral-related words. The emotional Stroop effect for negative vs. neutral and vs. positive words was used as the measure of attentional bias.Results At baseline, RTs were significantly slower for negative vs. positive words. We found that active but not sham tDCS significantly modified the negative attentional bias, abolishing slower RT for negative words.Conclusion Active but not sham tDCS significantly modified the negative attentional bias. These findings add evidence that a single tDCS session transiently induces potent changes in affective processing, which might be one of the mechanisms of tDCS underlying mood changes.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A single session of tDCS modulated emotional processing in both healthy and depressed individuals, in the absence of mood changes.
“A single session of tDCS was shown to modulate emotional processing in both healthy and depressed individuals, in the absence of mood changes (Nitsche et al., 2012, Brunoni et al. 2014, Ironside et al. 2016).”
From Cognitive neuropsychological theory of antidepressant action: a modern-day approach to depression and its treatment (2021) · cites this paper as Brunoni et al. 2014
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
(1998) · The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry · Cited by 19,139 · see citing works
The emotional Stroop task and psychopathology
Williams, J. M. G., Mathews, A., & MacLeod, C. (1996) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.120.1.3 · Cited by 2,420 · see citing works
Physiological basis of transcranial direct current stimulation
Stagg, C. J., & Nitsche, M. A. (2011) · The Neuroscientist · doi:10.1177/1073858410386614 · Cited by 1,719 · see citing works
Brunoni, A. R., Nitsche, M. A., Bolognini, N., Bikson, M., Wagner, T., Merabet, L., Edwards, D. J., Valero-Cabre, A., Rotenberg, A., Pascual-Leone, A., et al. (2012) · Brain stimulation · doi:10.1016/j.brs.2011.03.002 · Cited by 1,445 · see citing works
Self-citationKoenigs, M., & Grafman, J. (2009) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2009.03.004 · Cited by 956 · see citing works
Grimm, S., Beck, J., Schuepbach, D., Hell, D., Boesiger, P., Bermpohl, F., Niehaus, L., Boeker, H., & Northoff, G. (2008) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.05.033 · Cited by 686 · see citing works
The Sertraline vs Electrical Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study
Brunoni, A. R., Valiengo, L. D. C. L., Baccaro, A., Zanao, T. A., de Oliveira, J. F., Goulart, A. C., Boggio, P. S., Lotufo, P. A., Benseñor, I. M., & Fregni, F. (2013) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/2013.jamapsychiatry.32 · Cited by 602 · see citing works
Self-citationDe Raedt, R., & Koster, E. H. W. (2010) · Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3758/cabn.10.1.50 · Cited by 583 · see citing works
Utz, K. S., Dimova, V., Oppenländer, K., & Kerkhoff, G. (2010) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.06.002 · Cited by 482 · see citing works
Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: 3-week, randomised, sham-controlled trial
Loo, C. K., Alonzo, A., Martin, D., Mitchell, P. B., Galvez, V., & Sachdev, P. (2012) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.111.097634 · Cited by 455 · see citing works
Neurocognitive Mechanisms in Depression: Implications for Treatment
Clark, L., Chamberlain, S. R., & Sahakian, B. J. (2009) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.31.060407.125618 · Cited by 446 · see citing works
Transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of major depression: a meta-analysis
Kalu, U. G., Sexton, C. E., Loo, C. K. A., & Ebmeier, K. P. (2012) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291711003059 · Cited by 298 · see citing works
Boggio, P. S., Bermpohl, F., Vergara, A. O., Muniz, A. L. C. R., Nahas, F. H., Leme, P. B., Rigonatti, S. P., & Fregni, F. (2007) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.10.026 · Cited by 258 · see citing works
Self-citationA systematic meta-analysis of the Stroop task in depression
Epp, A., Dobson, K. S., Dozois, D. J. A., & Frewen, P. (2012) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2012.02.005 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Ahdab, R., Ayache, S. S., Brugières, P., Goujon, C., & Lefaucheur, J. P. (2010) · Neurophysiologie Clinique · doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2010.01.001 · Cited by 231 · see citing works
Amelioration of Cognitive Control in Depression by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Wolkenstein, L., & Plewnia, C. (2013) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.10.010 · Cited by 213 · see citing works
Berlim, M. T., den Eynde, F. V., & Daskalakis, Z. J. (2012) · Journal of Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.09.025 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
Electrode Positioning and Montage in Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
DaSilva, A. F. M., Volz, M. S., Bikson, M., & Fregni, F. (2011) · Journal of Visualized Experiments · doi:10.3791/2744-v · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Self-citationBrunoni, A. R., Ferrucci, R., Fregni, F., Boggio, P. S., & Priori, A. (2012) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.05.016 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Self-citationNormas brasileiras para o Affective Norms for English Words
Kristensen, C. H., Gomes, C. F. A., Justo, A. R., & Vieira, K. (2011) · Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy · doi:10.1590/s2237-60892011000300003 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 7
- Bermpohl F, Fregni F, Boggio PS, et al. Effect of low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation on an affective go/no-go task in patients with major depression: role of stimulation site and depression severity. Psychiatry research. Jan 30 2006;141(1):1-13.
- Leyman L, De Raedt R, Vanderhasselt MA, Baeken C. Effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on the attentional processing of emotional information in major depression: a pilot study. Psychiatry research. Jan 30 2011;185(1-2):102-107.
- Mayberg HS. Positron emission tomography imaging in depression: a neural systems perspective. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. Nov 2003;13(4):805-815.
- Ferrucci R, Bortolomasi M, Vergari M, et al. Transcranial direct current stimulation in severe, drug-resistant major depression. J Affect Disord. Nov 2009;118(1-3):215-219.
- Canli T, Desmond JE, Zhao Z, Glover G, Gabrieli JD. Hemispheric asymmetry for emotional stimuli detected with fMRI. Neuroreport. Oct 5 1998;9(14):3233-3239.
- Drevets WC, Price JL, Furey ML. Brain structural and functional abnormalities in mood disorders: implications for neurocircuitry models of depression. Brain Struct Funct. Sep 2008;213(1-2):93- 118.
- Boggio PS, Zaghi S, Fregni F. Modulation of emotions associated with images of human pain using anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Neuropsychologia. Jan 2009;47(1):212-217.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Ironside, M., O’Shea, J., Cowen, P. J., & Harmer, C. J. (2016) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.06.012 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Godlewska, B. R., & Harmer, C. J. (2021) · Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05448-0 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
- Authors
- Brunoni, A. R., Zanao, T. A., Vanderhasselt, M.-A., Valiengo, L., de Oliveira, J. F., Boggio, P. S., Lotufo, P. A., Benseñor, I. M., & Fregni, F.
- Affiliations
- Universidade de São Paulo (BR)
- Ghent University (BE)
- Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (BR)
- Harvard University (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2014-02
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 138-142
- ISSN
- 1094-7159 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1486457304
- Cited by
- 85
- References
- 20
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 4.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Neuromodulation Technology at the Neural Interface (publishedVersion)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (2009/0572807, 2011/00212-2, 2011/)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Electroconvulsive Therapy Studies
- Keywords
- transcranial direct current stimulation, major depressive disorder, negative attentional bias, emotional processing, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, Stroop task, neuromodulation, mood changes, sham stimulation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Attention, Major Depressive Disorder, Double-Blind Method, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Prefrontal Cortex, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
