Effectiveness of tDCS augmentation for co-morbid obsessive compulsive disorder in chronic schizophrenia: A case report.

Highlights • tDCS is a useful neuromodulation approach to manage obsessive compulsive symptoms in schizophrenia. • Cathodal stimulation at supplementary motor area is a viable and effective tDCS protocol to manage OCD in schizophrenia. • Neuronal circuitry responding to tDCS for OCD in schizophrenia may be similar to that of OCD without schizophrenia. Abstract Management of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) remains a challenge, particularly in individuals having co-existing psychotic symptoms. Even in patients with schizophrenia having a fair to good response in psychotic symptoms, these obsessive-compulsive symptoms defy response to antipsychotic and anti-obsessive pharmaco-therapeutic approach to a great extent. Recently developed neuromodulation techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can serve a viable and effective approach to manage such cases. The present paper documents the first utilization of tDCS (cathode: supplementary motor area; anode: right occipital cortex) as an add-on approach to pharmacotherapy to manage co-morbid OCD in a case of chronic schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]