Depressive Disorder, MajorPhase 2/3NCT00763230
A Study of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to Treat Depression
A Phase 2/3 study testing Transcranial direct current stimulation in people with Depressive Disorder, Major and Bipolar Disorder, run by The University of New South Wales at 1 site in Australia.
Trial summary
Depression is a common illness with an approximate lifetime prevalence of 17 %, conferring a large burden of disease in the community, often due to inadequate treatment. Thus there is interest in the therapeutic potential of non invasive, novel forms of brain stimulation, such as transcranial direct current… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 75 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Depressive Disorder, Major, Bipolar Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Transcranial direct current stimulation
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 68 participants
- Where
- 1 siteAustralia
- Study dates
- Apr 2008to Jan 2011
- Phase
- Phase 2/3
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 75 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Meets criteria for DSM-IV Major Depressive Episode
Who cannot join
- Diagnosis (as defined by DSM-IV) of: any psychotic disorder except bipolar disorder(lifetime); eating disorder (current or within the past year); obsessive compulsive disorder (lifetime); post-traumatic stress disorder (current or within the past year); mental retardation.
- History of drug or alcohol abuse or dependence (as per DSM-IV criteria) within the last 3 months (except nicotine and caffeine).
- Inadequate response to ECT in the current episode of depression.
- Subject is on regular benzodiazepine medication which it is not clinically appropriate to discontinue.
- Subject requires a rapid clinical response due to inanition, psychosis or high suicide risk.
- Neurological disorder or insult, eg recent stroke (CVA), which places subject at risk of seizure or neuronal damage with tDCS.
- Subject has metal in the cranium, skull defects, or skin lesions on scalp (cuts, abrasions, rash) at proposed electrode sites.
- Female subject who is pregnant, or of child-bearing age, sexually active and not using reliable contraception
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Australia1 site
Black Dog Institute, University of New South Wales
Randwick, New South Wales, 2031
About this study
Official title: A Sham-controlled Study of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as a Treatment for Depression
Depression is a common illness with an approximate lifetime prevalence of 17 %, conferring a large burden of disease in the community, often due to inadequate treatment. Thus there is interest in the therapeutic potential of non invasive, novel forms of brain stimulation, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Two small studies have been published in the last two years indicating that 20 minutes of either 1 or 2mA tDCS over 5 or 10 sessions is safe, painless and well tolerated. The investigators' own pilot data (N=30) also suggests the technique has antidepressant effects and is safe (5-10 sessions of tDCS at 1 mA).
This study will extend previous findings, testing a more definitive tDCS approach (also left prefrontal anodal stimulation) with a longer treatment course (15 sessions), at 2 mA (which has been found to be safe and more effective than 1 mA in cognitive studies), and in a larger sample (N=68), using a placebo-controlled design.
It is hypothesised that active tDCS (15 sessions) will have greater efficacy than sham treatment (15 sessions) in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms in patients in an episode of major depression. A second hypothesis is that 15 sessions of tDCS will not cause any significant adverse effects or cause decline in neuropsychological functioning in comparison to a sham control.
- Conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Major, Bipolar Disorder
- Being tested
- Transcranial direct current stimulation
- Keywords
- Depression, Treatment, Transcranial direct current stimulation
- Medical subject headings
- Depressive Disorder, Major, Bipolar Disorder, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Transcranial direct current stimulationDevice
Also called Eldith DC-Stimulator (CE certified)
tDCS will be given every weekday. For each session, tDCS will be given continuously for 20 minutes at 2 mA. Conductive rubber electrodes (7 x 5 cm, 35 cm2) covered by sponges soaked in saline will be used, held in place by a head band. The current will be gradually increased to the level of 2 mA over 30 seconds (to avoid the sensation of a flash as described in the safety section above). For sham stimulation, the current will be left on for another 30s, then gradually reduced to zero over another 30 seconds, so that the initial tingling sensation experienced by subjects will be identical for the two groups. The stimulator will be placed behind the subject's head so any adjustments to the current by the operator are not evident. This sham procedure resulted in successful blinding in our pilot study.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| active | Experimental | Full active tDCS treatment Receives: Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation |
| sham | Sham comparator | Placebo tDCS will be give Receives: Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale for Depression (MADRS)
Baseline (pre-treatment), post 8, 15, 23 and 30 tDCS sessions, and follow-up 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post treatment
Measured: 6 months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C)
Baseline (pre-treatment), post 8, 15, 23 and 30 tDCS sessions, and follow-up 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post treatment
Measured: 6 months
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self rated (QIDS-SR)
Measured: Baseline (pre-treatment), post 8, 15, 23 and 30 tDCS sessions, and follow-up 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post treatment
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Sep 2008 (estimated)
- Study startApr 2008
- Primary completionJan 2011
- Study completionJan 2011
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Depressive Disorder, MajorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase 2/3
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 68 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of New South Wales
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Investigators
- Colleen Loo, Principal investigator, University of New South Wales
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00763230
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 07305
- Other IDs
- NHMRC (Australia)
- Status last verified
- Mar 2011
- First submitted
- 26 Sep 2008
- Last updated
- 2 May 2011
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Loo CK, Alonzo A, Martin D, Mitchell PB, Galvez V, Sachdev P. Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: 3-week, randomised, sham-controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Jan;200(1):52-9. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.097634.
PubMed 22215866
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 May 2011. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Sham-controlled Study of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as a Treatment for Depression
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00763230
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 07305
- Conditions
- Depressive Disorder, Major, Bipolar Disorder
- Keywords
- Depression, Treatment, Transcranial direct current stimulation
- Phase
- Phase 2/3
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 68 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of New South WalesUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Apr 2008
- Primary completion
- Jan 2011 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jan 2011 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Sep 2008 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Depression is a common illness with an approximate lifetime prevalence of 17 %, conferring a large burden of disease in the community, often due to inadequate treatment. Thus there is interest in the therapeutic potential of non invasive, novel forms of brain stimulation, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Two small studies have been published in the last two years indicating that 20 minutes of either 1 or 2mA tDCS over 5 or 10 sessions is safe, painless and well tolerated. The investigators' own pilot data (N=30) also suggests the technique has antidepressant effects and is safe (5-10 sessions of tDCS at 1 mA).
This study will extend previous findings, testing a more definitive tDCS approach (also left prefrontal anodal stimulation) with a longer treatment course (15 sessions), at 2 mA (which has been found to be safe and more effective than 1 mA in cognitive studies), and in a larger sample (N=68), using a placebo-controlled design.
It is hypothesised that active tDCS (15 sessions) will have greater efficacy than sham treatment (15 sessions) in reducing the severity of depressive symptoms in patients in an episode of major depression. A second hypothesis is that 15 sessions of tDCS will not cause any significant adverse effects or cause decline in neuropsychological functioning in comparison to a sham control.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| active | Experimental | Device: Transcranial direct current stimulationFull active tDCS treatment |
| sham | Sham comparator | Device: Transcranial direct current stimulationPlacebo tDCS will be give |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Meets criteria for DSM-IV Major Depressive Episode
Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Diagnosis (as defined by DSM-IV) of: any psychotic disorder except bipolar disorder(lifetime); eating disorder (current or within the past year); obsessive compulsive disorder (lifetime); post-traumatic stress disorder (current or within the past year); mental retardation.
- History of drug or alcohol abuse or dependence (as per DSM-IV criteria) within the last 3 months (except nicotine and caffeine).
- Inadequate response to ECT in the current episode of depression.
- Subject is on regular benzodiazepine medication which it is not clinically appropriate to discontinue.
- Subject requires a rapid clinical response due to inanition, psychosis or high suicide risk.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial direct current stimulationAlso: Eldith DC-Stimulator (CE certified)tDCS will be given every weekday. For each session, tDCS will be given continuously for 20 minutes at 2 mA. Conductive rubber electrodes (7 x 5 cm, 35 cm2) covered by sponges soaked in saline will be used, held in place by a head band. The current will be gradually increased to the level of 2 mA over 30 seconds (to avoid the sensation of a flash as described in the safety section above). For sham stimulation, the current will be left on for another 30s, then gradually reduced to zero over another 30 seconds, so that the initial tingling sensation experienced by subjects will be identical for the two groups. The stimulator will be placed behind the subject's head so any adjustments to the current by the operator are not evident. This sham procedure resulted in successful blinding in our pilot study. | Device | active, sham |
Primary outcome
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale for Depression (MADRS)
Time frame: 6 months
Baseline (pre-treatment), post 8, 15, 23 and 30 tDCS sessions, and follow-up 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post treatment
2 secondary outcomes
Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C)
Time frame: 6 months
Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology - Self rated (QIDS-SR)
Time frame: Baseline (pre-treatment), post 8, 15, 23 and 30 tDCS sessions, and follow-up 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post treatment
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 May 2011.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 22215866Loo CK, Alonzo A, Martin D, Mitchell PB, Galvez V, Sachdev P. Transcranial direct current stimulation for depression: 3-week, randomised, sham-controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2012 Jan;200(1):52-9. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.111.097634.
- Black Dog Institute websiteLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Colleen Loo principal investigator
University of New South Wales
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A Phase 2/3 study testing Transcranial direct current stimulation in people with Depressive Disorder, Major and Bipolar Disorder, run by The University of New South Wales at 1 site in Australia.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 May 2011. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Australia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
What does this combined phase mean?
Phase 2 studies give the treatment to a larger group to see whether it has the intended effect and to keep checking safety.
Phase 3 studies compare the treatment with the current standard treatment or a placebo in a large group, to confirm how well it works and watch for side effects.
Not every study follows the same path, and some studies (observational studies, device studies) have no phase.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale for Depression (MADRS) (time frame: 6 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00763230, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 May 2011.