Transcranial Magnetic and Direct Current Stimulation in Children

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Adult studies show promise for transcranial brain stimulation in neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
• Active research is expanding these techniques to childhood and adolescent syndromes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update published results of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in children.
• To discuss developmental neuroscience considerations for pediatric transcranial stimulation.

Main Methods:

• Review of published TMS and tDCS studies in pediatric populations.
• Analysis of applications in various childhood neuropathologies.

Main Results:

• TMS is utilized as an experimental tool for pediatric conditions including perinatal stroke, depression, Tourette syndrome, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• tDCS has been tested for pediatric conditions such as ASD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, epilepsy, and cerebral palsy.

Conclusions:

• Transcranial brain stimulation techniques show potential for treating pediatric neurologic and psychiatric disorders.
• Developmental neuroscience principles are crucial for informing the safe and effective application of pediatric transcranial stimulation.