A Pilot Study of Safety and Efficacy of Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation in Treatment of Bipolar II Depression

• Published in: The journal of nervous and mental disease Vol. 203; no. 11; p. 827
• Main Authors: McClure, Deimante, Greenman, Samantha C, Koppolu, Siva Sundeep, Varvara, Maria, Yaseen, Zimri S, Galynker, Igor I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.11.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Bipolar Disorder - diagnosis; Bipolar Disorder - psychology; Bipolar Disorder - therapy; Double-Blind Method; Electric Stimulation Therapy - adverse effects; Electric Stimulation Therapy - instrumentation; Electric Stimulation Therapy - methods; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Skull; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1539-736X
• DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000378

This double-blind, sham-controlled study sought to investigate the effectiveness of cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) for the treatment of bipolar II depression (BD II). After randomization, the active group participants (n = 7) received 2 mA CES treatment for 20 minutes five days a week for 2 weeks, whereas the sham group (n = 9) had the CES device turned on and off. Symptom non-remitters from both groups received an additional 2 weeks of open-label active treatment. Active CES treatment but not sham treatment was associated with a significant decrease in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores from baseline to the second week (p = 0.003) maintaining significance until week 4 (p = 0.002). There was no difference between the groups in side effects frequency. The results of this small study indicate that CES may be a safe and effective treatment for BD II suggesting that further studies on safety and efficacy of CES may be warranted.