Noninvasive Brain Stimulation: An Evidence-Based Nonpharmacological Treatment for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders

Mental health is a growing concern, with increases in diagnosed psychopathologies and associated costs. Traditionally, psychopathology has been treated with psychotherapy, drug therapy, or combinations of both. But recent years have seen the development of new approaches to directly target the biological basis for mental illness. For a range of disorders, neuromodulation using noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) constitutes a promising avenue to direct, comfortable, and focused central nervous system (CNS) targeted treatment. At the same time, neuromodulation using direct brain stimulation is sometimes touted as a tool with almost unlimited future and range of applications. We here discuss to what extent NIBS can indeed contribute to brain-based medicine, particularly clinical treatment. Is NIBS a passing trend? Or is NIBS the low-hanging fruit meant to stay for the long-term?