An interim analysis of a double-blind sham-controlled study on the acute effects of transcranial direct current stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder

We describe the interim analysis of a double-blind sham controlled quasi-randomized study on the acute effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Twenty OCD patients were assigned to receive a single session of sham (n=10) or active (2mA) tDCS (n=10) for 30 minutes, with the cathode placed over the central supplementary motor area (SMA) and the anode on the supraorbital region. Assessments of outcome were made at baseline and one hour following tDCS using: a dot-probe task comprising images illustrating different OCD-related scenarios, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Challenge Scale (YBOCCS; a measure of symptoms in the preceding hour).

Source: European Neuropsychopharmacology - June 1, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Nat ália M. Lins Martins, Samara dos Santos-Ribeiro, Erika C. Rodrigues, Fernanda Tovar-Moll, Mara S. da Victoria, Gabriela M. Bezerra de Menezes, Rebecca Segraves, Murat Yücel, Leonardo F. Fontenelle Source Type: research