TY - JOUR A1 - Hassan, Auwal A1 - Danazumi, Musa A1 - Ishaku, Cornelius A1 - Yakasai, Abdulsalam T1 - Short-Interval periodic transcranial direct current stimulations may induce long-term remission of symptoms in a patient with poststroke depression Y1 - 2017/1/1 JF - The Egyptian Journal of Internal Medicine JO - Egypt J Intern Med SP - 59 EP - 63 VL - 29 IS - 2 UR - http://www.esim.eg.net/article.asp?issn=1110-7782;year=2017;volume=29;issue=2;spage=59;epage=63;aulast=Hassan DO - 10.4103/njecp.njecp_33_19 N2 - Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to be effective in the management of patients with poststroke depression (PSD) but with a high relapse rate. We present a report of a patient with PSD who had long-term mood improvement upon receiving periodic tDCS sessions with short inter-session intervals following a relapse of symptoms at 3 weeks after improvement due to stimulations with long inter-sessions intervals. A 60-year-old patient presented with moderate PSD, having a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score of 25. She received anodal tDCS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using two different application protocols. Initially, a stimulation session of 2 mA intensity for 20 min was given every working day for 2 weeks. After 3 weeks, she then received seven sessions of periodic stimulations of 2 mA intensity for 13 min each with 20 min inter-sessions interval. BDI score was taken before the intervention, immediately after, and at 3 weeks and 6 months postintervention. Immediately following the last session of the initial protocol of stimulation, the BDI score reduced from 25 to 7. However, the symptoms relapsed at 3 weeks postintervention to the initial BDI score of 25. There was no change in the BDI score immediately after follow-up with short interval periodic stimulations. Nevertheless, the BDI score improved to 18 at 3 weeks and later to 7 at 6 months postintervention. Series of periodic tDCS with short-intersession intervals may be more effective in inducing long-term mood improvement in patients with PSD. ER -