Could a Head-Zap device lift depression without drugs?
NCT ID NCT05539131
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a device called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can help people with mild to moderate depression. The device sends a tiny electrical current through the scalp to regulate brain activity. Researchers enrolled 198 adults and measured changes in depression symptoms using standard questionnaires. The goal was to see if tDCS works in real-world clinics and could eventually be used at home.
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 non-drug, at-home option to help ease depression symptoms.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed demonstration study, not a large late-phase trial. The results may not apply to everyone, and the device may not work for all types of depression.
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
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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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198 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Nov 2022
- Finished
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Dec 2024
- Lead sponsor
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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
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19 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Male and Female aged 19 to 65 with mild and moderate Major depressive disorder (MDD) Exclusion Criteria: * Those diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar or psychotic major depressive disorder, high suicide risk, Electroencephalography (EEG) and DC stimulation electrode attachment problems (such as scalp deformity, inflammatory response or other dermatological problems), Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) medical device taboos (such as head metal plate insertion), clinical trials that have been inadequate for clinical trials
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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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Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary'S Hospital
Incheon, Gyeonggi-do, 22711, South Korea
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Hallym Univsity Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital
Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 24253, South Korea
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Myongji Hospital
Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 10475, South Korea
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National Health Insurance Service Ilsanhospital
Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, 10444, South Korea
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Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine
Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 16995, South Korea
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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