Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Therapy for Major Depression

June 22, 2022 updated by: Cynthia Fu, University of East London

Acceptability and Feasibility of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Therapy as a Community-based Treatment for Major Depression

Depression is a prevalent and debilitating disorder. The most common treatments are antidepressant medications and talking therapies. However, for many individuals, these are not their treatment of choice. Furthermore, even following a full course of treatment with an antidepressant or talking therapy, over one third of patients continue to be unwell.

The novel brain stimulation treatment, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is a potential first-line treatment for major depression. The present research question is whether tDCS can be provided as a home-based treatment for major depression for adults with major depression.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The novel brain stimulation treatment, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is a potential first-line treatment for major depression. tDCS generates a small electric current which modulates how easy it is for active brain cells to discharge. The device is a neoprene cap worn over the head, and in the cap there are two electrodes, which are small metal discs, where the current comes from. tDCS does not directly stimulate brain cells to cause a seizure like electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and it does not induce brain cells to discharge like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Clinical studies have shown that tDCS treatment could help to improve the symptoms of depression. The main side effects have been redness, skin irritation or sensations (itching, tingling or burning) under the electrodes. Less commonly reported side effects include headache or tiredness. tDCS is a portable and safe treatment.

The studies to date have mostly looked at tDCS treatment which has been provided in a research setting. This is a problem because the treatment requires daily sessions for several weeks which could limit whether individuals would be able to go every day. As tDCS is a portable and safe treatment, it could be provided in the community.

The study research question is whether tDCS could be provided as a home-based treatment for major depression. The study will include adults with major depression.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

26

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • United Kingdom
      • London, United Kingdom, E15 4LZ
        • University of East London

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • diagnosis of major depressive disorder based on DSM-5 criteria
  • minimum score of 16 on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • history of treatment-resistant depression
  • comorbid psychiatric disorder
  • significant risk of suicide or self harm
  • any contraindications to tDCS, including implanted electronic medical devices

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: tDCS
6-week course of active tDCS treatment, consisting of 5 sessions per week for the first 3 weeks followed by 2 sessions per week for 3 weeks, for a total of 21 tDCS sessions. The duration of each session is 30 minutes.
Device: transcranial direct current stimulation
tDCS generates a small electric current which modulates how easy it is for active brain cells to discharge. The device is a neoprene cap worn over the head, and in the cap there are two electrodes, which are small metal discs, where the current comes from.
Other Names:
  • tDCS

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Clinical response
Time Frame: At 6 weeks following course of tDCS treatment
As measured by a HAM-D reduction of >= 50%
At 6 weeks following course of tDCS treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of East London

Collaborators

King's College London
University College, London
University of Oxford
Rosetrees Trust

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Cynthia Fu, MD PhD, University of East London

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

October 14, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 26, 2021

Study Completion (Actual)

November 26, 2021

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 8, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 14, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

August 15, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 23, 2022

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 22, 2022

Last Verified

June 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • A1950

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Starting 6 months after publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Individual access by request

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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