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Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation : safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017–2025 : an update) : endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN)

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Abstract
This guideline summarizes updated safety data (2017–2025) and provides expert recommendations on the use of low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) in humans. tES encompasses several techniques including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), oscillatory transcranial direct current stimulation (otDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS), and their combinations or variations. Across over 300,000 sessions involving healthy individuals, patients with neuropsychiatric conditions, and other clinical populations, no tES-related serious adverse events (AEs) have been reported. Moderate AEs are rare and limited to a small range of specific applications. Mild AEs are common and include transient symptoms such as localized sensations (e.g., tingling or burning), headaches, and fatigue. Similar mild AEs are also reported by individuals receiving placebo stimulation. The frequency, magnitude, and type of AEs are comparable across healthy, clinical, and vulnerable groups, including children, elderly, or pregnant women. Combined interventions (e.g., co-application with EEG, TMS, or neuroimaging) have not shown increased safety risks. Safety is well-established for both bipolar and multichannel tES when applied up to 4 mA and up to 60 min per day. Higher intensities and longer stimulation durations may also be safe. Nevertheless, the number of studies using intensities above 4 mA or stimulating longer than 60 min is low. Home-based use of treatments is growing rapidly, leveraging remote supervision to provide patients with greater access and enable repeated, sustained dosing paradigms. We recommend using screening and AE questionnaires in future controlled studies, in particular when planning to extend the stimulation parameters applied. We discuss recent regulatory and ethical issues.
Keywords
tDCS, tACS, tES, Safety, Adverse events, Ethics, Regulation, Training

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MLA
Antal, Andrea, et al. “Low Intensity Transcranial Electric Stimulation : Safety, Ethical, Legal Regulatory and Application Guidelines (2017–2025 : An Update) : Endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN).” CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, 2026, doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436.
APA
Antal, A., Bjekić, J., Ganho-Ávila, A., Alekseichuk, I., Assecondi, S., Bergmann, T. O., … Ziemann, U. (2026). Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation : safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017–2025 : an update) : endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436
Chicago author-date
Antal, Andrea, Jovana Bjekić, Ana Ganho-Ávila, Ivan Alekseichuk, Sara Assecondi, Til Ole Bergmann, Marom Bikson, et al. 2026. “Low Intensity Transcranial Electric Stimulation : Safety, Ethical, Legal Regulatory and Application Guidelines (2017–2025 : An Update) : Endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN).” CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Antal, Andrea, Jovana Bjekić, Ana Ganho-Ávila, Ivan Alekseichuk, Sara Assecondi, Til Ole Bergmann, Marom Bikson, Jerome Brunelin, Andre R Brunoni, Leigh Charvet, Robert Chen, Roi Cohen Kadosh, Lukas Diedrich, Giordano D’Urso, Roberta Ferrucci, Saša R Filipović, Paul B Fitzgerald, Agnes Flöel, Flavio Fröhlich, Mark S George, Roy H. Hamilton, Jens Haueisen, Mark Hallett, Christoph S Herrmann, Friedhelm C Hummel, Shapour Jaberzadeh, Berthold Langguth, Michal Lavidor, Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur, Carlo Miniussi, Vera Moliadze, Mika Nikander, Stevan Nikolin, Michael A Nitsche, Alexander Opitz, Jacinta O’Shea, Frank Padberg, Christian Plewnia, Alberto Priori, Perianen Ramasawmy, Laís Boralli Razza, Simone Rossi, John Rothwell, Maria A Rueger, Giulio Ruffini, Alexander T Sack, Ricardo Salvador, Klaus Schellhorn, Teresa Schuhmann, Yuichiro Shirota, Hartwig Roman Siebner, Axel Thielscher, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Susanne Uusitalo, Anna Wexler, Walter Paulus, Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt, Vincent Van Waes, Maximilian J Wessel, Miles Wischnewski, Chris Baeken, and Ulf Ziemann. 2026. “Low Intensity Transcranial Electric Stimulation : Safety, Ethical, Legal Regulatory and Application Guidelines (2017–2025 : An Update) : Endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN).” CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY. doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436.
Vancouver
1.
Antal A, Bjekić J, Ganho-Ávila A, Alekseichuk I, Assecondi S, Bergmann TO, et al. Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation : safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017–2025 : an update) : endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY. 2026;
IEEE
[1]
A. Antal et al., “Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation : safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017–2025 : an update) : endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN),” CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, 2026.
@article{01KGJP2Z8YBFHXK5PWYTT510HP,
  abstract     = {{This guideline summarizes updated safety data (2017–2025) and provides expert recommendations on the use of low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) in humans. tES encompasses several techniques including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), oscillatory transcranial direct current stimulation (otDCS), transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS), and their combinations or variations. Across over 300,000 sessions involving healthy individuals, patients with neuropsychiatric conditions, and other clinical populations, no tES-related serious adverse events (AEs) have been reported. Moderate AEs are rare and limited to a small range of specific applications. Mild AEs are common and include transient symptoms such as localized sensations (e.g., tingling or burning), headaches, and fatigue. Similar mild AEs are also reported by individuals receiving placebo stimulation. The frequency, magnitude, and type of AEs are comparable across healthy, clinical, and vulnerable groups, including children, elderly, or pregnant women. Combined interventions (e.g., co-application with EEG, TMS, or neuroimaging) have not shown increased safety risks. Safety is well-established for both bipolar and multichannel tES when applied up to 4 mA and up to 60 min per day. Higher intensities and longer stimulation durations may also be safe. Nevertheless, the number of studies using intensities above 4 mA or stimulating longer than 60 min is low. Home-based use of treatments is growing rapidly, leveraging remote supervision to provide patients with greater access and enable repeated, sustained dosing paradigms. We recommend using screening and AE questionnaires in future controlled studies, in particular when planning to extend the stimulation parameters applied. We discuss recent regulatory and ethical issues.}},
  articleno    = {{2111436}},
  author       = {{Antal, Andrea and Bjekić, Jovana and Ganho-Ávila, Ana and Alekseichuk, Ivan and Assecondi, Sara and Bergmann, Til Ole and Bikson, Marom and Brunelin, Jerome and Brunoni, Andre R and Charvet, Leigh and Chen, Robert and Cohen Kadosh, Roi and Diedrich, Lukas and D’Urso, Giordano and Ferrucci, Roberta and Filipović, Saša R and Fitzgerald, Paul B and Flöel, Agnes and Fröhlich, Flavio and George, Mark S and Hamilton, Roy H. and Haueisen, Jens and Hallett, Mark and Herrmann, Christoph S and Hummel, Friedhelm C and Jaberzadeh, Shapour and Langguth, Berthold and Lavidor, Michal and Lefaucheur, Jean-Pascal and Miniussi, Carlo and Moliadze, Vera and Nikander, Mika and Nikolin, Stevan and Nitsche, Michael A and Opitz, Alexander and O’Shea, Jacinta and Padberg, Frank and Plewnia, Christian and Priori, Alberto and Ramasawmy, Perianen and Boralli Razza, Laís and Rossi, Simone and Rothwell, John and Rueger, Maria A and Ruffini, Giulio and Sack, Alexander T and Salvador, Ricardo and Schellhorn, Klaus and Schuhmann, Teresa and Shirota, Yuichiro and Siebner, Hartwig Roman and Thielscher, Axel and Ugawa, Yoshikazu and Uusitalo, Susanne and Wexler, Anna and Paulus, Walter and Vanderhasselt, Marie-Anne and Van Waes, Vincent and Wessel, Maximilian J and Wischnewski, Miles and Baeken, Chris and Ziemann, Ulf}},
  issn         = {{1388-2457}},
  journal      = {{CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY}},
  keywords     = {{tDCS,tACS,tES,Safety,Adverse events,Ethics,Regulation,Training}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{47}},
  title        = {{Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation : safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017–2025 : an update) : endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN)}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}

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