Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Reduction of Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Admitted to Public, Educational, and Private Hospitals in Ilam, Iran

[Objectives]The current study aimed at analyzing the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) on reduction of depression symptoms in patients admitted to public, educational, and private hospitals in Ilam, Iran.[Methods]In the current clinical trial, pre-tests and post-tests were used to analyze data. The study population consisted of patients diagnosed with depression admitted to public, educational, and private hospitals of Ilam. After explaining the study objectives, 40 patients agreed to cooperate. The convenience sampling method was used in the current study through which patients were selected randomly and allocated into 2 groups of 10 and 20 stimulation sessions, respectively. The Beck depression inventory was used to collect data. The t test and Pearson correlation test were used in hypothesis assessment procedure.[Results]The results of the current study revealed that TDCS reduced depression in the studied patients.[Conclusions]The duration of electrical current pulses to the brain is associated with the reduction of depression symptoms in patients with depression. No study demonstrated compatibility and incompatibility with this hypothesis. The counselling centers, institutes, university and other institutions can benefit from the results of the current and other similar ones.