NCT07657234RecruitingPhase 1/2
tDCS for Late-Life Depression
High-Dose Spaced Bilateral tDCS for Late-Life Depression: Open-Label Pilot Study
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 25 Sept 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The purpose of this research study is to determine the effectiveness of Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) therapy in the treatment of participants with Late-life depression (LLD). The study will evaluate feasibility, safety, and tolerability of high-dose (6mA) bilateral tDCS delivered as three daily sessions, 3 times a week, for 3 weeks in older adults (60 y/o and older) with late-life depression.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Phase (registry)
- Phase 1/2
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 20 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 6 Jun 2026
- Start date
- Oct 2026
- Primary completion date
- Oct 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Andre Russowsky Brunoni
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07657234
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional · Phase 1/2
- Planned participants: 20
- From Oct 2026 to the primary completion date, Oct 2027
- 1 site 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
- contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including pacemaker, cochlear implants, ferromagnetic implants, or claustrophobia;
- neuromodulation treatment including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), tDCS, or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) within the past six months;
- concurrent use of medications that substantially lower seizure threshold;
Other illness
- contraindications to tDCS including metallic cranial implants, skin conditions at electrode sites (eczema, open wounds, burns, lesions), or history of adverse reaction to tDCS;
- depressive disorder due to a medical condition;
- history of seizures or epilepsy;
- bipolar disorder;
- psychotic disorders;
- severe personality disorder;
- active substance use disorder within the past six months or history of substance induced mood or psychotic disorder;
- a clinically established diagnosis of dementia as reported in the participant's health record or scoring 1 or above on CDR;
Other
- Participants meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded:
- psychotic depression;
- active suicidal ideation with plan or intent requiring a higher level of care;
- pregnancy;
- medically unstable in the clinical opinion of the principal investigators.
Who the study is looking for
- Participants must meet all of the following criteria:
- age 60 years or older;
- diagnosis of unipolar major depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5);
- score of 16 or higher on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomology-Clinician Rated (QIDS-C) at screening;
- stable antidepressant regimen for at least four weeks prior to enrollment, if applicable;
- willingness and capacity to provide informed consent;
- Clinical Dementia Rating scale of 0 or 0.5.
- availability of an informant who has sufficient knowledge of the participant's daily functioning as ascertained by the study team.
Age in the registry: 60 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Dallas | United States | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.