Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28231716›Full record

ReviewThe American journal of psychiatry2017

Low-Intensity Transcranial Current Stimulation in Psychiatry.

Noah S Philip, Brent G Nelson, Flavio Frohlich, Kelvin O Lim, Alik S Widge, Linda L Carpenter

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in The American journal of psychiatry, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
69citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
8.4field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

69 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 136 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. A Systematic Review of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Opioid Use Disorder.Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society · 2020
    Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
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  8. Randomized trial of transcranial alternating current stimulation for treatment of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2018
    Trial
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  20. Effects of dendritic CaJournal of computational neuroscience · 2025
    Article

9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Noah S PhilipFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Center of Excellence for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, R.I.; the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, the Department of Neurology, and the Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Brent G NelsonFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Center of Excellence for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, R.I.; the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, the Department of Neurology, and the Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Flavio FrohlichFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Center of Excellence for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, R.I.; the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, the Department of Neurology, and the Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Kelvin O LimFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Center of Excellence for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, R.I.; the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, the Department of Neurology, and the Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Alik S WidgeFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Center of Excellence for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, R.I.; the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, the Department of Neurology, and the Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Linda L CarpenterFrom the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and the Center of Excellence for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, R.I.; the Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Mass., and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.; the Department of Psychiatry, the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, the Department of Neurology, and the Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; the Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, Minn.; the Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, R.I.
Providence VA Medical Center · US

Funding

Functional Connectivity Changes During Early Recovery as a Marker for RelapseR01DA038984 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI LIM, KELVIN O. · 2015 to 2019
$2.6M
Targeting Cortical Dynamics: Rational Design of Individualized Brain StimulationR01MH101547 · NIMH · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI FROHLICH, FLAVIO · 2013 to 2017
$2.2M
Synchronizing a Fear Regulation Circuit By Temporally Patterned Closed-LoopNeurostimulationR21MH109722 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI WIDGE, ALIK S. · 2016 to 2017
$444k
PTSD and the Default Network: Developing Imaging PhenotypesIK2CX000724 · VA · PROVIDENCE VA MEDICAL CENTER · PI PHILIP, NOAH STEPHEN · 2013 to 2017
–
CSRD VA IK2 CX000724NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA038984NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH101547NIMH NIH HHS R21 MH109722
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neurostimulation is rapidly emerging as an important treatment modality for psychiatric disorders. One of the fastest-growing and least-regulated approaches to noninvasive therapeutic stimulation involves the application of weak electrical currents. Widespread enthusiasm for low-intensity transcranial electrical current stimulation (tCS) is reflected by the recent surge in direct-to-consumer device marketing, do-it-yourself enthusiasm, and an escalating number of clinical trials. In the wake of this rapid growth, clinicians may lack sufficient information about tCS to inform their clinical practices. Interpretation of tCS clinical trial data is aided by familiarity with basic neurophysiological principles, potential mechanisms of action of tCS, and the complicated regulatory history governing tCS devices. A growing literature includes randomized controlled trials of tCS for major depression, schizophrenia, cognitive disorders, and substance use disorders. The relative ease of use and abundant access to tCS may represent a broad-reaching and important advance for future mental health care. Evidence supports application of one type of tCS, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for major depression. However, tDCS devices do not have regulatory approval for treating medical disorders, evidence is largely inconclusive for other therapeutic areas, and their use is associated with some physical and psychiatric risks. One unexpected finding to arise from this review is that the use of cranial electrotherapy stimulation devices-the only category of tCS devices cleared for use in psychiatric disorders-is supported by low-quality evidence.

Indexed as

Cognition DisordersDevice ApprovalHumansMajor Depressive DisorderMental DisordersRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSchizophreniaSchizophrenic PsychologySubstance-Related DisordersTranscranial Direct Current StimulationTreatment OutcomeAntidepressantsECTTranscranial Electrical Current Stimulation

Identifiers

PMID28231716
PMCPMC5495602
OpenAlexW2591382623

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.