About this Research Topic
The field of brain stimulation/neuromodulation has experienced exponential growth in the last decade, with increasing clinical applications in medical specialties, namely psychiatry and neurology. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the oldest and best-known neuromodulation technique, with a wide application in various psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, major depression, catatonia, psychotic symptoms, and suicidal ideation. However, almost a century after its introduction, its exact mechanisms of action remain unknown. Other techniques such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), initially used in the treatment of tremors and Parkinson's disease, and later expanded to other neurological pathologies, have also been studied and applied in the treatment of mental disorders such as treatment-resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (trOCD) and treatment-resistant Depression (trD). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is another neuromodulation technique that has seen remarkable growth in recent years, particularly in treating psychiatric pathologies, namely trD. However, these techniques' exact mechanisms of action are still unknown. In addition to these three main techniques, there are many others, including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST), and several other emerging techniques. Nevertheless, their exact mechanisms of action in treating neuropsychiatric pathologies are also unknown.
Over the years, hundreds of mechanisms of action have been proposed. In 2021, neuroversion was suggested, by Silva-dos-Santos and collaborators, as a possible mechanism of action of brain stimulation/neuromodulation in treating patients with acute bipolar disorder mania that was submitted to electroconvulsive therapy. Neuroversion would be to the brain (psychiatry and neurology) what cardioversion is to the heart (cardiology), where short-term electrical stimulation is used to treat arrhythmias in an acute setting. To some extent, this notion addresses acute mania as a neuronal/brain or neural circuit/network arrhythmia. It uses a versatile approach (under the ECT treatment guidelines) to treat a psychiatric condition. Neuroversion brings the notion of adapting different types/protocols/paradigms of stimulation of each technique of brain stimulation to different pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric diseases.
With this objective in mind, this Research Topic was created to bring together a set of works on the mechanisms of action of different brain stimulation techniques in different neuropsychiatric pathologies. Works on the possible mechanisms underlying the concept of neuroversion are also welcome.
The following articles are welcome:
Reviews, meta-analyses, original works, opinions, perspectives, clinical cases, comments on articles, and hypotheses.
Over the years, hundreds of mechanisms of action have been proposed. In 2021, neuroversion was suggested, by Silva-dos-Santos and collaborators, as a possible mechanism of action of brain stimulation/neuromodulation in treating patients with acute bipolar disorder mania that was submitted to electroconvulsive therapy. Neuroversion would be to the brain (psychiatry and neurology) what cardioversion is to the heart (cardiology), where short-term electrical stimulation is used to treat arrhythmias in an acute setting. To some extent, this notion addresses acute mania as a neuronal/brain or neural circuit/network arrhythmia. It uses a versatile approach (under the ECT treatment guidelines) to treat a psychiatric condition. Neuroversion brings the notion of adapting different types/protocols/paradigms of stimulation of each technique of brain stimulation to different pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric diseases.
With this objective in mind, this Research Topic was created to bring together a set of works on the mechanisms of action of different brain stimulation techniques in different neuropsychiatric pathologies. Works on the possible mechanisms underlying the concept of neuroversion are also welcome.
The following articles are welcome:
Reviews, meta-analyses, original works, opinions, perspectives, clinical cases, comments on articles, and hypotheses.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
