Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES): History, Theoretical Foundations and Applications

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that can produce temporary changes in the excitability of cortical areas by applying a weak electrical current to the skull. The specialists’ tendency to use tES as a complementary or alternative tool for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders has grown significantly in the last decade. This research has explained the nature of electrical stimulation of the brain, the stimulating devices, its history, underlying physiological mechanisms, and their applications in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. It also has taken a coherent look at the effects of cognitive training along with tES in the treatment of psychiatric patients.

In the field of the effectiveness of tES intervention on mood disorders, anxiety, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia, research conducted and showed that this treatment method is effective in improving the cognitive performance, moderating the negative emotions, and reducing the symptoms of individuals’ disease. Based on this, along with psychotherapy and medical treatment, tES can be used as a non-invasive treatment to help patients with psychiatric problems.