Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation treatment for major depressive disorder: a fully remote phase 2 randomized sham-controlled trial

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been proposed as a new treatment in major depressive disorder (MDD). This is a fully remote, multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized superiority trial of 10-week home-based tDCS in MDD. Participants were 18 years or older, with MDD in current depressive episode of at least moderate severity as measured using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (mean = 19.07 ± 2.73). A total of 174 participants (120 women, 54 men) were randomized to active (n = 87, mean age = 37.09 ± 11.14 years) or sham (n = 87, mean age = 38.32 ± 10.92 years) treatment. tDCS consisted of five sessions per week for 3 weeks then three sessions per week for 7 weeks in a 10-week…

• UO
  University of East London
• SL
  South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
• NA
  National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
• WT
  Wellcome Trust
• UO
  University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
• RC
  Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
• L
  LivaNova
• MS
  Michael Smith Health Research BC
• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research
• BM
  British Medical Association
• KC
  King's College London
• RT
  Rosetrees Trust
• VG
  Victoria General Hospital Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: 1R21MH119441-01A1
• SA
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

  Award: 6H79FG000470-01M003
• A
  Allergan
• CI
  Canadian Institutes of Health Research
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Award: G0802594
• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health

  Awards: 1R21MH129888-01A1, 1R21MH119441-01A1, 1R21MH119441
• NI
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• JP
  Janssen Pharmaceuticals
• EK
  Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

  Award: 1R21HD106779-01A1