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Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation for major depressive disorder: 6-month follow-up from randomised sham-controlled trial and open-label treatment phases
File(s)
Author(s)
Woodham, Rachel D
Selvaraj, Sudhakar
Lajmi, Nahed
Hobday, Harriet
Sheehan, Gabrielle
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a potential home-based treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). In our double-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) (n = 174; UK and USA), a 10-week course of home-based tDCS demonstrated clinical efficacy (clinical response: 58.3 % active treatment arm and 37.8 % sham (p = 0.017). tDCS was delivered in a bifrontal montage, with anode over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and cathode over right DLPFC. Each session was 30 min, with active stimulation at 2 mA and sham at 0 mA, incorporating brief ramp-up and ramp-down phased. Following the 10-week RCT, all participants were offered active tDCS in a 10-week open-label treatment phase, with 111 participants completing this phase. UK cohort (n = 77 MDD) were invited for additional 3-month and 6-month follow-ups, extending the total study period to 11 months post-randomisation. Participants were able to continue using the tDCS device during follow-up. At least one follow-up visit was attended by 42 MDD participants (27 women). Device usage rates were 59 % at 3-month follow-up and 55 % at 6-month follow-up. Clinical response rate was 64 % at 3-month follow-up and 76 % at 6-month follow-up. Among participants who had shown a clinical response after the open-label phase, 90 % maintained their response at the 6-month follow-up. In summary, long-term follow-up showed high and sustained clinical response rates regardless of continued tDCS device use.
Date Issued
2025-06-01
Date Acceptance
2025-03-25
Citation
Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2025, 186, pp.23-32
URI
URL
DOI
ISSN
0022-3956
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Start Page
23
End Page
32
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Psychiatric Research
Volume
186
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.03.047
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-03-26