tDCS for Late-Life Depression

June 12, 2026 updated by: Andre Russowsky Brunoni

High-Dose Spaced Bilateral tDCS for Late-Life Depression: Open-Label Pilot Study

The purpose of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) therapy in the treatment of participants with Late-life depression (LLD).

The study will evaluate feasibility, safety, and tolerability of high-dose (6mA) bilateral tDCS delivered as three daily sessions, 3 times a week, for 3 weeks in older adults (60 y/o and older) with late-life depression.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Texas
      • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75390
        • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Andre Russowsky Brunoni, MD PhD

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. age 60 years or older;
  2. diagnosis of unipolar major depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI);
  3. score of 17 or higher on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) at screening;
  4. stable antidepressant regimen for at least four weeks prior to enrollment, if applicable;
  5. capacity to provide informed consent;
  6. Clinical Dementia Rating scale of 0 or 0.5.

Exclusion Criteria:

Participants meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded:

  1. contraindications to tDCS including metallic cranial implants, skin conditions at electrode sites (eczema, open wounds, burns, lesions), or history of adverse reaction to tDCS;
  2. contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including pacemaker, cochlear implants, ferromagnetic implants, or claustrophobia;
  3. history of seizures or epilepsy;
  4. bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, or severe personality disorder;
  5. dementia or MoCA score below 17;
  6. substance use disorder within the past six months;
  7. neuromodulation treatment including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), tDCS, or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) within the past six months;
  8. active suicidal ideation with plan or intent requiring a higher level of care;
  9. concurrent use of medications that substantially lower seizure threshold;
  10. pregnancy.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: tDCS in older adults with LLD
Device: High-intensity (6 mA) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
High-intensity (6 mA), spaced (three daily sessions, 3 times a week, for 3 weeks) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in older adults (60 y/o and over) with Late-Life Depression

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Completion Rate
Time Frame: 6 weeks
The proportion of enrolled participants who complete at least 7 of 9 treatment days.
6 weeks
Target dose achievement
Time Frame: 6 weeks
The proportion of participants who reach their calculated target dose without dose-limiting intolerance.
6 weeks
Session completion
Time Frame: 6 weeks
The proportion of scheduled sessions completed across all participants.
6 weeks
Adverse event profile
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Including incidence, severity, and time course of adverse events.
6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Target engagement
Time Frame: 6 weeks

Resting-state fMRI measures functional connectivity between the DLPFC and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC). The DLPFC-sgACC connectivity is a biomarker of depression that predicts treatment response to neuromodulation.

Target engagement would be a significant change in DLPFC-sgACC connectivity.
6 weeks
Clinical - HDRS-17
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Clinical outcomes are assessed using the HDRS-17 at baseline, weeks 1-5, and week 6. Response is defined as ≥50% reduction in HDRS-17 from baseline. Remission is defined as HDRS-17 ≤7.
6 weeks
Correlation of Stimulation Dose With Change in HDRS 17 Scores
Time Frame: 6 weeks

Exploratory dose-response analyses will examine correlations between the device stimulation and the changes in clinical outcomes (HDRS-17).

This is assessed by correlating achieved baseline E-field (Structural MRI (T1- and T2-weighted) values) and changes in clinical outcomes measured by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 item (HDRS-17). Change in HDRS 17 is defined as the difference between baseline and post-treatment scores at 6 weeks. Correlation analyses (Pearson or Spearman coefficients) are used to quantify the relationship.
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Andre Russowsky Brunoni

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Andre Russowsky Brunoni, MD PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 6, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • STU20260143

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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