Interventional psychiatry for schizophrenia: The role of transcranial direct current stimulation

Abstract

Schizophrenia (SZ) is among the most disabling psychiatric disorders. Recent estimates based on Global Burden of Disease has shown increasing burden due to schizophrenia. Psychopharmacological, psychological, and social interventions, especially focusing on the early stage of SZ, have the potential to decrease the disability due to SZ (1). Antipsychotic medications, the mainstay treatment for SZ, have been effective in treating the acute symptoms as well as preventing the relapse of symptoms to a considerable extent. Nonetheless, these medications have not substantially improved the outcome of SZ. Furthermore, about one-third of SZ patients show little or no clinical response to treatment of non-clozapine antipsychotic. Treatment resistance is an important contributor to disease burden (2).