Advances in Neurostimulation: Understanding of the Mechanisms and Clinical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Brain stimulation methods been part of the clinical routine in psychiatry for several years, offering a therapeutic alternative to pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatments. Whether they are noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or more invasive techniques, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) or (transcunaneous) vagus nerve stimulation ((t)VNS), they demonstrate efficacy in several psychiatric disorders, including when those disorders have proven resistant to the current treatment algorithms. There is no doubt that new clinical applications will emerge or have their efficacy confirmed in the coming years. Identifying the factors of clinical response or resistance to these techniques is important for the optimization of therapeutic outcomes.

However, the physiological mechanisms underlying neurostimulation are not yet fully understood. Exploring the effects of these techniques with brain activity measures (functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), positron emission tomography (PET) or electroencephalography (EEG), etc.) or biological measures (hormones, neuroplasticity, inflammation, etc.) can help us to better understand the neurobiological bases of these methods.

Besides neuropsychiatry, this Topical Collection also seeks to promote new effective clinical applications in  brain stimulation, such as personality or somatic disorders, and advances in understanding of their mechanisms, including studies with healthy subjects.

Original research articles, systematic reviews/meta-analyses are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Chris Baeken
Dr. Virginie Moulier
Collection Editors

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