Open AccessNon-invasive brain stimulation therapies
Author(s) -
Paulo Suen,
André R. Brui
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
revista de medicina
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1679-9836
pISSN - 0034-8554
DOI - 10.11606/issn.1679-9836.v98i4p279-289
Subject(s) - neurostimulation , neuroscience , brain stimulation , stimulation , transcranial magnetic stimulation , transcranial direct current stimulation , neuromodulation , deep brain stimulation , medicine , psychology , disease , parkinson's disease
Noninvasive brain stimulation therapies are a promising field for the development of new protocols for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. They are based on the stimulation of neural networks with the intent of modeling their synaptic activity to adequate levels. For this, it is necessary to precisely determine which networks are related to which brain functions, and the normal activation level of each of these networks, so that it is possible to direct the stimulation to the affected networks in order to induce the desired effects. These relationships are under intense investigation by the scientific community, and will contribute to the advancement of treatments by neurostimulation, with the emergence of increasingly accurate and effective protocols for different disorders. Currently, the most used techniques are Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, with the most common applications being for treating Major Depressive Disorder. The advancement of research in this field may determine new target networks for stimulation in the treatment of other disorders, extending the application of these techniques and also our knowledge about brain functioning.