Could a better tDCS protocol lift depression?
NCT ID NCT06165445
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested an optimized multichannel tDCS (a non-invasive brain stimulation device) against standard and sham versions in 60 adults with moderate-to-severe major depression. The goal was to see if the new protocol better reduces depressive symptoms and improves memory and attention. The trial is complete, and results may guide future depression treatments.
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)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a more effective, non-invasive brain stimulation protocol for easing depression symptoms and improving thinking skills.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 60 participants. The results may not apply to everyone, and the benefits over existing treatments are uncertain.
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
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60 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
-
Mar 2023
- 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 to 60 years
- Sex
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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 DSM-5 criteria for a moderate-to-severe major depression, primarily by a DSM-5-based structured interview by a licensed psychiatrist, confirmed by score on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) * being 18-60 years old * providing written informed consent * If female, negative urine pregnancy test * Treatment naïve or on a stable standard antidepressant regimen (including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MOAIs) or tricyclics (TCAs)) with no change in treatment 6-weeks prior to and during the tDCS intervention Exclusion Criteria: * smoker * pregnancy * alcohol or substance dependence * history of seizure * history of neurological disorder * comorbid Schizophrenia Axis I disorder, bipolar disorder, substance abuse or dependence, dementia, personality disorder * history of head injury * currently receiving any form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy * Presence of ferromagnetic objects in the body that are contraindicated for brain stimulation of the head (pacemakers or other implanted electrical devices, brain stimulators, some types of dental implants, aneurysm clips, metallic prostheses, permanent eyeliner, implanted delivery pump, or shrapnel fragments)
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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
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Zanjan University of Medical Sciences
Zanjan, Zanjan Province, Iran
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