Efeitos imediatos do uso do tDCS na saturação de oxigênio intracraniana de pacientes com e sem depressão: um estudo controlado

Abstract

Introduction: Brazil had nearly reached a percentage of 10% of diagnosed cases in its population.Antidepressant drugs are commonly used in treatments for patients with the disorder, which come with plenty of side effects. However, non-pharmacological treatments have emerged as an alternative. For example, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has shown results in neural hemodynamics; this technique stimulates specific brain areas using microcurrents. Despite the advantages presented by the technique, there is still a gap in understanding its effects on oxygen saturation after the intervention.Objective: To compare and analyze the variation in intracranial oxygen saturation before and after the intervention using neuromodulation in isolation in patients with and without depression.Methodology: The patients were divided into two groups, with both receiving the technique in isolation without any other stimulus. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used, along with intracranial spectroscopy, to examine the results.Results: The case group presented significant alterations intragroup compared to the oxygen saturation before and after using the tDCS intervention, showing a significant alteration. The control group did not present significant intragroup alteration when comparing the before and after saturation following the tDCS intervention. The intergroup analysis showed a significant difference in the oxygen saturation rate before the intervention but not after.Conclusion: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) can produce greater hemodynamics results in patients with depression due to a higher saturation rate, which consequently reflects increased blood flow in brain areas such as the prefrontal cortex.