tDCS treatment

What tDCS is

tDCS delivers a low-intensity continuous electrical current through electrodes placed on the scalp. The current does not trigger neuronal firing: it gently modulates the excitability of specific brain regions, increasing or reducing it depending on electrode polarity. It is non-invasive — no surgery, anaesthesia or needles — and generally well tolerated.

The HDCstim device

Mind Health distributes Newronika's HDCstim in Brazil, a medical-grade direct-current stimulator. It is the stimulation unit of the HDCkit (with the HDCprog programmer), registered with ANVISA. For therapeutic use, the current is up to 2 mA and sessions last about 20 minutes — higher currents or longer times are reserved for research contexts.

The HDCstim was developed by Newronika, an Italian neuromodulation group whose founders — among them A. Priori and R. Ferrucci — have published clinical tDCS studies. Most efficacy evidence comes from trials of tDCS as a technique, run with various stimulators; those results apply to the HDCstim because it delivers a regulated, stable constant current within the same parameters used in those studies. For scientific accuracy, no single outcome should be attributed to the device alone: the evidence belongs to the technique, and the device is the means of applying it precisely and safely.

tDCS and TMS: complementary techniques

tDCS and TMS are complementary techniques. TMS uses magnetic pulses strong enough to depolarize neurons directly, with a more focal effect. tDCS applies a weak constant current (1–2 mA) that modulates neuronal excitability below threshold — without firing action potentials — acting more diffusely across the region between the electrodes. For several indications the results are comparable, and tDCS tends to be more affordable, portable, and suitable for supervised home use.

Safety and tolerability

In the reviewed clinical literature (more than 1,300 individuals), no permanent or serious side effects were reported. The effects described are mild and transient — such as tingling, itching or redness at the electrode site and, less frequently, mild headache or fatigue.

There are rare signals to consider in clinical assessment, such as hypomania in people with bipolar disorder and rare skin reactions. Indication and contraindications must be assessed by a healthcare professional.