Functional Electrical Stimulation for MDD
4 juni 2026 uppdaterad av: Unity Health Toronto
Functional Electrical Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial
This study aims to determine whether Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) of the facial muscles is a safe and effective treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).
Studieöversikt
Status
Har inte rekryterat ännu
Betingelser
Intervention / Behandling
Detaljerad beskrivning
A potential new treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) involves using a Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) device to stimulate specific facial muscles. By targeting muscles related to smile patterns, FES has shown promise in improving emotional control and boosting mood. This project aims to address a critical need for innovative treatments for MDD, especially since 30% of MDD patients do not respond to traditional treatments.
This is a single-site clinical trial that is double-blind, randomized, and sham-controlled, involving 20 sessions of FES over four weeks. The trial will assess the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of FES for individuals with mild-to-moderate major depressive episode (MDE) and a primary diagnosis of MDD.
Participants in the study will have a total of 26 visits: one screening and one baseline visit (both conducted by phone), followed by 20 on-site intervention visits over four weeks (one sessions per day). After the treatment, there will also be four follow-up visits over the phone to check how long the effects of the FES treatment last.
Studietyp
Interventionell
Inskrivning (Beräknad)
60
Fas
- Inte tillämpbar
Kontakter och platser
Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.
Studiekontakt
- Namn: Venkat Bhat
- Telefonnummer: 76404 416-360-4000
- E-post: Venkat.Bhat@unityhealth.to
Deltagandekriterier
Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.
Urvalskriterier
Åldrar som är berättigade till studier
- Vuxen
- Äldre vuxen
Tar emot friska volontärer
Nej
Beskrivning
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients will be included if they:
- Meet the DSM-5 criteria for unipolar MDD with a current MDE without psychotic features, with ≤ 2 failed treatment trials (non-treatment-resistant depression), validated by MINI done by a trained research assistant.
- Have no change in the medication regimen or other forms of treatments (e.g., psychotherapy) for at least 4 weeks (28 days) prior to beginning the study, and have no plan to change them during the 20-session treatment period (14 days), and the 4-week post-treatment observation period. This will be established through self-report, in combination with the ATHF filled out by the participant.
- Have an MDD diagnosis as confirmed by the MADRS score of ≥7.
- Age group between 18 and 70 years of age
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients will be excluded if they:
- History of epilepsy or seizures.
- Damage or dysfunction of facial nerves.
- Metallic orthopedic implants in the mouth (e.g., plates or screws).
- Current fibromyalgia or currently receiving or have received rTMS within the last 28 days before the screening.
- History of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) with history of ECT, Magnetic Seizure Therapy, Intravenous Ketamine use in the past or failure of >2 antidepressant treatments of adequate duration and dose during the current episode.
- Past or current symptoms of mania, hypomania, mixed episodes, psychotic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, active substance abuse or dependence (excluding nicotine and caffeine), neurodegenerative disease, or dementia. This will be confirmed on the MINI (77) administered by a trained research assistant.
- Current suicidal intent or plan as demonstrated by a score of ≥4 on MADRS item 10.
- Unable to understand instructions in English.
- Unable to produce "Duchenne marker" expression with FES, secondary to any type of neurological condition or previous botulinum toxin treatments of facial muscles.
Studieplan
Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.
Hur är studien utformad?
Designdetaljer
- Primärt syfte: Behandling
- Tilldelning: Randomiserad
- Interventionsmodell: Parallellt uppdrag
- Maskning: Trippel
Vapen och interventioner
Deltagargrupp / Arm |
Intervention / Behandling |
|---|---|
|
Experimentell: Active FES
Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) will be administered to four facial muscles involved in smiling, with two muscles targeted on each side of the face.
Electrodes will be placed over the target muscles, and stimulation will be delivered using standard muscle-activation settings.
|
Once per day for the duration of 4 weeks.
Total of 20 sessions (each session lasts 60 mins)
|
|
Sham Comparator: Sham FES
Sham Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) will be administered using the same electrode placement and session schedule as the active FES arm.
Stimulation will be delivered at a low sensory intensity range of 1-8 mA, sufficient for participants to feel the stimulation, while other parameters will remain the same as in the active arm.
Sham stimulation will be delivered in a non-Duchenne smile pattern.
|
Once per day for the duration of 4 weeks.
Total of 20 sessions (each session lasts 60 mins)
|
Vad mäter studien?
Primära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
|
Efficacy of FES: Change in Depression Severity
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
Change in depression severity measured using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17).
Scores range from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptoms.
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
|
Tolerability of FES
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
The overall dropout and protocol compliance rates will be assessed.
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
|
FES safety
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
The number and nature of adverse events will be assessed
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
Sekundära resultatmått
Resultatmått |
Åtgärdsbeskrivning |
Tidsram |
|---|---|---|
|
Change in Anxiety Symptoms
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
Anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7.
Total scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptom severity.
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
|
Change in Well-Being
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
Well-being will be assessed using the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index.
Raw total scores range from 0 to 25, with higher scores indicating better well-being.
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
|
Change in Sleep Quality
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
Sleep quality will be assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.
Global scores range from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality.
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
|
Response and Remission Rate
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
Response and Remission will be assessed using the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.
Total scores on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale range from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating greater depression symptom severity.
|
4 weeks of Intervention, 4 weeks of follow-up
|
|
Changes in Facial Expressivity
Tidsram: 4 weeks of Intervention
|
Changes in facial expressivity (frequency, intensity and duration of Duchenne smiles) will be assessed during an emotional interview, using objective facial coding.
|
4 weeks of Intervention
|
Samarbetspartners och utredare
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Sponsor
Studieavstämningsdatum
Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.
Studera stora datum
Studiestart (Beräknad)
25 maj 2026
Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)
20 april 2028
Avslutad studie (Beräknad)
30 mars 2029
Studieregistreringsdatum
Först inskickad
25 maj 2026
Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
2 juni 2026
Första postat (Faktisk)
5 juni 2026
Uppdateringar av studier
Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)
8 juni 2026
Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna
4 juni 2026
Senast verifierad
1 mars 2026
Mer information
Termer relaterade till denna studie
Ytterligare relevanta MeSH-villkor
Andra studie-ID-nummer
- 24-155
- WI4 179978 (Annat bidrag/finansieringsnummer: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR))
Plan för individuella deltagardata (IPD)
Planerar du att dela individuella deltagardata (IPD)?
NEJ
Läkemedels- och apparatinformation, studiedokument
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