Brain Stimulation in Childhood Mental Health: Therapeutic Applications.

The treatment of pediatric mental illness and neurodevelopmental disorders faces two considerable obstacles. First, few new medications are in development and second, existing treatments are often limited in effectiveness and tolerability in this age group. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) are types of non-invasive brain stimulation with promise as brain-based interventions for mental illness and neurodevelopmental disorders. TMS and tDCS have considerable advantages in children and adolescents, such as a strong safety profile, short duration to clinical effect, and durability of effects. Most importantly, brain stimulation requires the identification of a biologic target. As such, therapeutic research has the prospect of advancing the pathophysiologic understanding of neuropsychiatric illnesses. Evidence supports the need for larger studies of TMS in major depressive disorder (MDD), particularly in the developing brain. Future research may support the use of brain stimulation in autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, childhood-onset schizophrenia, and Tourette syndrome.