Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Depression in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mixed-Age Studies
Yoon et al., 2025. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Late-life depression presents a significant clinical challenge due to complex interactions with medical comorbidity and polypharmacy. Standard pharmacological treatments are limited by issues with efficacy and tolerability in the elderly. tDCS provides as an essential therapeutic modality, offering targeted treatment that circumvents systemic side effects.
This study highlights the advantages of tDCS as a well-tolerated and accessible intervention, characteristics of which are particularly valuable for older adults who often encounter adverse effects from antidepressants due to pre-existing health conditions.
- Minor adverse effects were associated with tDCS
- Significant adverse effects from pharmacotherapy in the elderly patients are not uncommon such as increased anticholinergic burden, hyponatremia, risk of bleeding and cardiovascular events
CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis demonstrates a large effect size for tDCS in reducing depressive symptoms in studies that included older adults, including those with comorbid conditions.