Transcranial direct current stimulation for treatment of refractory childhood focal epilepsy.

Background: Cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation method for suppressing regional cortical excitability. We examine the safety and antiepileptic efficacy of cathodal tDCS in children with refractory focal epilepsy. Although a prior cathodal tDCS trial in adults with epilepsy revealed EEG improvement, neither the antiepileptic potential nor the safety and tolerability of tDCS has been tested in children.