Evidence map · tDCS · depression
tDCS for depression: what the research shows
Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression. 1,232 papers from 2002 to 2026, including 113 meta-analyses, 84 systematic reviews and 344 randomised controlled trials. Each study below links to its source.
1,232Papers in the corpus
113Meta-analyses
344Randomised controlled trials
492Open-access papers
Study design
Jev labels243 papers have no confident study-design label yet. Labels are AI-classified by Jev: advisory, not clinician-reviewed.
Papers over time
by publication year* 2025–26 is still in progress, so its count is incomplete.
Most-cited trials and reviews
by citations- 1
The sertraline vs. electrical current therapy for treating depression clinical study: results from a factorial, randomized, controlled trial.
- 2
A randomized, double-blind clinical trial on the efficacy of cortical direct current stimulation for the treatment of major depression.
- 3
Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: 3-week, randomised, sham-controlled trial.
- 4
Trial of Electrical Direct-Current Therapy versus Escitalopram for Depression.
- 5
Transcranial direct current stimulation for acute major depressive episodes: meta-analysis of individual patient data.
- 6
A double-blind, sham-controlled trial of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of depression.
- 7
Transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of major depression: a meta-analysis.
- 8
International randomized-controlled trial of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in depression.
Recent trials and reviews
last 3 years- 1
Efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: individual patient data meta-analysis.
- 2
Transcranial direct current stimulation targeting dmPFC ameliorates somatic symptoms in depression: A randomized control trial.
- 3
Role of hippocampal subfield volumes in the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation for late-life depression: An exploratory pilot randomized clinical trial.
- 4
Real-World Assessment of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Combined with Sertraline in the Treatment of Depression in Vietnam.
- 5
Optimized multichannel 4 mA vs conventional transcranial direct current stimulation for major depressive disorder: A randomized sham-controlled trial.
Decision support only. This page summarises published literature; it is not medical advice or a recommendation for any patient. Study designs and topic labels are AI-classified by Jev: advisory, not clinician-reviewed. Abstracts are not reproduced here: follow the links to read each source. Data snapshot 2026-09-25.