Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Global prevalence and disability burden of brain disorders: Impact of neurological, mental, and substance use disorders.

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews·2026
Same author

Dose or time? Comparing early prediction of intermittent theta-burst stimulation response across accelerated and daily protocols for depression.

European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience·2026
Same author

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an additional treatment to cognitive behavior group therapy in adults with tobacco dependence - a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled pilot trial.

Psychiatry research·2026
Same author

Accelerating the therapeutic effects of non-invasive brain stimulation: A Neuroscience School of Advanced Studies (NSAS) challenge workshop.

Brain stimulation·2026
Same author

Brazilian Psychiatric Association Guidelines for pharmacological treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999)·2026
Same author

Sad Mood in Late-Life Depression Correlates With Reduced Thickness in Orbitofrontal Cortex.

International journal of geriatric psychiatry·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
11:17

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Published on: November 25, 2025

571

Transcranial direct current stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A randomized, controlled, partial

Giordano D'Urso1, Andre R Brunoni2,3, Maria Pia Mazzaferro4

  • 1Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Anesthesiology and Pharmacoutilization, University Hospital of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Depression and Anxiety
|November 2, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) significantly improved obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. Anodal tDCS showed no significant effect, suggesting polarity-dependent therapeutic benefits for OCD.

Keywords:
OCD/obsessive compulsive disorderanxiety/anxiety disordersbrain stimulation/TMS/DBS/VNSclinical trialstreatment resistance

More Related Videos

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
08:53

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke

Published on: June 6, 2025

2.0K
Simultaneous EEG Monitoring During Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
07:52

Simultaneous EEG Monitoring During Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Published on: June 17, 2013

40.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder
11:17

Protocol for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Symptom Provocation to Treat Obsessive-compulsive Disorder

Published on: November 25, 2025

571
Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke
08:53

Randomized, Triple-Blind, and Parallel-Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Cognitive Rehabilitation after Stroke

Published on: June 6, 2025

2.0K
Simultaneous EEG Monitoring During Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
07:52

Simultaneous EEG Monitoring During Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Published on: June 17, 2013

40.5K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Neuromodulation

Background:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with hyperactivity in the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA).
  • The exact role of pre-SMA hyperactivity in OCD pathophysiology remains unclear, potentially being a primary cause or compensatory mechanism.
  • Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) offers polarity-dependent modulation of cortical excitability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of cathodal and anodal tDCS targeting the pre-SMA in alleviating OCD symptoms.
  • To determine if the effects of tDCS on OCD are dependent on the polarity of the applied current.

Main Methods:

  • A total of 12 OCD patients received 20 sessions of bilateral pre-SMA tDCS (2 mA/20 min daily).
  • Patients were initially assigned to either anodal or cathodal stimulation for 10 days.
  • Stimulation polarity was adjusted based on symptom response to assess polarity-dependent effects, with symptom severity measured by Y-BOCS and SDS.

Main Results:

  • A significant reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores was observed in patients who received cathodal tDCS.
  • Patients initially receiving anodal tDCS showed no significant pre-post treatment difference in Y-BOCS scores.
  • A majority of patients receiving anodal stimulation were switched to cathodal, while all patients receiving cathodal stimulation continued with it, indicating better tolerability or efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Cathodal tDCS applied to the pre-SMA demonstrates significant therapeutic potential for reducing OCD symptom severity.
  • Anodal tDCS over the pre-SMA did not yield significant improvements in OCD symptoms.
  • These findings highlight the polarity-specific effects of tDCS in OCD treatment, favoring cathodal stimulation for symptom improvement.