Could a headset at home lift depression when pills fail?
NCT ID NCT05930509
First seen Jul 02, 2026 · Last updated Jul 02, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation device, used at home, can safely and effectively ease symptoms of major depression in people who have not improved with medication. Participants use the device for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for four weeks. The trial measures how well people stick with the treatment, any side effects, and changes in depression scores.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a convenient, at-home treatment option for people with depression that hasn't responded to medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on feasibility and safety, so results may not confirm effectiveness. The treatment requires daily sessions and help from a live-in adult.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
40 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jun 2023
- Finished
-
Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Meet criteria and be diagnosed by a Psychiatrist for MDD, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders * Score at least 20 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale * Be stable enough to participate in the study without risk for safety. * Live with an adult with computer skills and willingness to learn how to use tDCS. Exclusion criteria: * Present other psychiatric conditions or neurological disorders * Abuse of alcohol or drugs * Pregnancy * Present any contraindication for tDCS
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Guttmann Barcelona
Barcelona, Barcelona, 08027, Spain
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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