Therapeutic Applications of Noninvasive Neuromodulation in Children and Adolescents

Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2018 Sep;41(3):465-477. doi: 10.1016/j.psc.2018.05.003.

Abstract

Recent advances and growing evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of noninvasive neuromodulatory techniques in adults have facilitated the study of neuromodulation applications in children and adolescents. Noninvasive brain stimulation methods such as transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation have been considered in children with depression, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other neuropsychiatric disorders. However, current clinical applications of neuromodulation techniques in children and adolescents are nascent. There is a great need for developmentally informed, large, double-blinded, randomized, controlled clinical trials to demonstrate efficacy and safety of noninvasive brain stimulation in children and adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescent depression; Autism spectrum disorder; Neuromodulation; Noninvasive brain stimulation; TMS; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; tDCS.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / therapy*
  • Cerebral Palsy / therapy*
  • Child
  • Depressive Disorder, Major / therapy*
  • Epilepsy / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders / therapy*
  • Schizophrenia / therapy*
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / methods*
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / methods*