Section editor, Glen Spielmans, PhDGlen Spielmans, PhD, has disclosed that he has no relevant financial or other interests in any commercial companies ertaining to this educational activity.
Nonpharmacological methods to treat depression include more than just ECT: recent developments include promising strategies like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and vagal nerve stimulation (VNS). Another procedure, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) involves the application of weak direct electrical current to the brain via scalp electrodes, which can be positioned to deliver currents that increase or decrease cortical excitability.