Journal of psychiatric research
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tDCS is a promising novel therapeutic intervention for major depression (MD). However, clinical trials to date have reported conflicting results concerning its efficacy, which likely resulted from low statistical power. Thus, we carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis on randomized, double-blind and controlled trials of tDCS in MD with a focus on clinically relevant outcomes, namely response and remission rates. ⋯ The clinical utility of tDCS as a treatment for MD remains unclear when clinically relevant outcomes such as response and remission rates are considered. Future studies should include larger and more representative samples, investigate how tDCS compares to other therapeutic neuromodulation techniques, as well as identify optimal stimulation parameters.