The Effect of Transcranial Direct Stimulation on Balance in Men with Schizophrenic and Depressive Disorder

Rehabilitation interventions contribute to the recovery of impaired postural control. A promising strategy to improve the efficacy of rehabilitation is transcranial direct current stimulation. We investigated whether stimulating the primary motor cortex using transcranial direct current stimulation could affect postural control in schizophrenia patients with depression.

21 men with schizophrenia and depression (mean age: 48±11/9) were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and were homogeneously assigned to the stimulation and control groups. The transcranial direct current stimulation group received 2 mA stimulation for 15 min during 12 weeks over the right and left primary motor cortices. Data of the pre-and post-test studies of standing on the dominant leg with opened and closed eyes were collected.

Significant differences in static balance with opened and closed eyes and dynamic balance were observed between the experimental and control groups.

The results provide preliminary evidence indicating that transcranial direct current stimulation of the primary cortex is a safe non-invasive tool to improve static balance in schizophrenia patients with depression.