Home-Based Prefrontal Cortex Stimulation Reduces Subjective Stress Appraisal

The demand for effective non-pharmacologic interventions is growing across multiple medical disciplines, from managing chronic pain to mitigating distress in critically ill patients [1, 2]. Among the strategies being explored is non-invasive brain stimulation, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which aims to modulate neural activity in targeted cortical regions. Research has already established that tDCS protocols can influence autonomic nervous system function, a core component of the physiological stress response, as measured by changes in heart rate variability [3]. Concurrently, the delivery of healthcare is increasingly moving beyond clinic walls, with evidence supporting the use of mobile and remote technologies for managing health behaviors and chronic conditions [4]. This convergence of neuromodulation and remote care raises a key question: could a home-based brain stimulation protocol be a viable approach for proactively building resilience against stress?