NCT07228468Recruiting
Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation In Major Depressive Disorder (HOME)
Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder: a Multi-Centre, Two-Parallel Group, Superiority Randomised Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 26 Jan 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
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 home-based tDCS is an effective treatment for major depression for adults with major depression. Participants will be randomised to receive either a 10-week course of active tDCS treatment in addition to their standard care (Treatment as Usual), or to only receive Treatment as Usual. Participants will be followed up for 6-months after the start of the treatment began. After the 6-month follow-up visit, all participants from both groups can choose to continue/start the tDCS treatment. There will be a final follow-up visit 3 months later (9 months from the original treatment start of the trial).
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 438 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 13 Nov 2025
- Start date
- 18 Nov 2025
- Primary completion date
- 15 May 2027
- Lead sponsor
- King's College London
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07228468
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 438
- From 18 Nov 2025 to the primary completion date, 15 May 2027
- 6 sites in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Current daily use of medications that affect cortical excitability (e.g. benzodiazepines)
- Have any implant in the brain or neurocranial defect
- Concurrent enrolment in another interventional study
Other illness
- Primary comorbid psychiatric disorder (e.g. obsessive compulsive disorder) based on DSM-5 criteria as assessed in MINI
- Current illicit drug use or heavy alcohol use with high risk of alcohol use disorder as measured by a score of 8 or more in Alcohol use disorders identification test consumption (AUDIT C) (Khadjesari et al., 2017; NICE, 2023)
- History of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), deep brain stimulation (DBS), or other brain stimulation
- History of esketamine / ketamine for treatment of depression
- History of psychosurgery for depression
- Having cognitive impairment (e.g. dementia)
- Current medical disorder or neurological disorder that may mimic mood disorder (e.g. hormonal disorder, unstable heart disease)
Other
- Significant suicide risk as measured by answering 'yes' to questions 4, 5 or 6 on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screen (Posner et al., 2011)
- Have shrapnel or any ferromagnetic material in the head
- Have any active implantable medical device (e.g. pacemaker)
- If female and of child-bearing potential, currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study
Who the study is looking for
- Adults aged 18 years or over
- Current episode of depression based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria (APA, 2013) for major depressive disorder (MDD) as assessed by structured clinical assessment, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) (Sheehan et al., 1998)
- Having at least a moderate severity of depressive symptoms as measured by a score of at least 18 in MADRS
- Either not taking antidepressant medication or taking a stable dose of antidepressant medication for at least 6 weeks before enrolment.
- Either not currently in psychotherapy or in ongoing psychotherapy for at least 6 weeks before enrolment.
- Being under the care of GP
- Agreeable for GP to be regularly informed about study participation
- Able to provide written, informed consent
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (6)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff and Vale Health Board Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Cardiff | United Kingdom | Not yet recruiting |
| South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | London | United Kingdom | Recruiting |
| Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Newcastle | United Kingdom | Not yet recruiting |
| Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Northampton | United Kingdom | Not yet recruiting |
| Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Nottingham | United Kingdom | Not yet recruiting |
| Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Southampton | United Kingdom | Not yet recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.