Home brain stimulation for depression, tested with a fake comparison group
Tests gentle electrical brain stimulation at home in adults with depression.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Accelerated Treatment of Depressive Patients With tDCS
Key facts
- Where
- Regensburg, GermanySee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 70 years old?
Source: NCT07444242, who can take part
Where in Germany
- Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center of Neuromodulation / TMS, University RegensburgRegensburg, GermanyTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Regensburg
- Trial code
- NCT07444242
- Record updated
- 15 June 2026
- Original description
A randomized, controlled three-arm study is planned to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of an accelerated home-based tDCS application (3 weeks of transcranial direct current stimulation at home, twice daily). A total of 30 patients with depression (10 per group), who are currently not taking and have no history of taking antidepressant medication, will be randomly assigned to either an active tDCS condition, a sham (placebo) tDCS condition, or a waitlist control group. The latter two groups will receive active tDCS treatment after completion of the control phase.Read full original descriptionShow less
Accelerated Treatment of Depressive Patients With tDCS (Twice Per Day) - a Placebo Controlled Home-based Treatment
A randomized, controlled three-arm study is planned to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of an accelerated home-based tDCS application (3 weeks of transcranial direct current stimulation at home, twice daily). A total of 30 patients with depression (10 per group), who are currently not taking and have no history of taking antidepressant medication, will be randomly assigned to either an active tDCS condition, a sham (placebo) tDCS condition, or a waitlist control group. The latter two groups will receive active tDCS treatment after completion of the control phase.
This study represents a continuation of the pilot study GSUND DAHOAM (Ethics approval: 20-2091-101; Dragon et al., 2024).
Inclusion: Sex: female, male, non-binary; Age: 18-70 years; Diagnosis of depression: no current or past psychiatric medication (current episode and history); Provision of informed consent to participate; Sufficient proficiency in the German language.
Exclusion: Participation in another clinical trial on depression within the 3 months prior to treatment initiation; Presence of contraindications for tDCS (e.g., electrical implants or metallic objects in the body such as a cardiac pacemaker or insulin pump, dermatological conditions affecting the scalp); Neurological disorders (e.g., cerebrovascular events, neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy, brain malformations, or a history of severe head injury); Pregnancy or breastfeeding.