Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Treatment-Resistant Depression
• Interventions: Device: transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS); Device: Sham tACS

• Registration Number: NCT06172413
• Lead Sponsor: Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing

Brief Summary

This trial aims to investigate the effect of twice-daily 15 mA transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) through three conductive electrodes attached to the scalp in subjects with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Two hundred adult subjects with TRD will be included in this randomized, double-blind, parallelized, multi-centre study. The primary outcome is the change of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) after four weeks of tACS.

Detailed Description

This is an 8-week, multicenter, double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized, parallel-group trial.

TRD is defined as failure of response to at least two antidepressant medication trials based on the Massachusetts General Hospital antidepressant treatment response questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ). Patients will be randomized if they remain moderately ill, assessed by Hamilton Depression Scale-item 17 (HAMD-17) score ≥ 20. The primary outcome is a change in the MADRS total score after four weeks of tACS.

"Remission" is defined as MADRS total score ≤10 at Week 4 and Week 8. "Response" is a ≥50% reduction in MADRS total score from baseline to Week 4 and Week 8.

All participants will receive 40 sessions with stimulation at 77.5 Hz and 15 mA (Active group) or sham stimulation (Sham group).

Each session will last 40 minutes from Monday to Friday at a fixed daytime interval for four continuous weeks.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-12-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-12-14
• Study First Posted: 2023-12-15
• Status Verified: 2024-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-01-29
• Last Update Posted: 2024-01-31
• Study Start: 2024-02-01
• Primary Completion: 2024-12-31
• Study Completion: 2025-03-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 200

Inclusion Criteria

1. 18-65 years old;
2. able to provide written informed consent;
3. had a diagnosis of major depression disorder (MDD) (recurrent episodes) without psychotic features in compliance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revised (DSM-IV-TR) and confirmed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview Chinese version 5.0;
4. failure to respond to at least two antidepressant medication trials based on the MGH-ATRQ;
5. ongoing antidepressant(s) at a fixed dose for at least four weeks before baseline assessment;
6. scored≥20 on the Hamilton Depression Scale-item 17 (HAMD-17) at baseline.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Axis I psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic episodes, anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder), post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, psychosis over the previous six months, and any disorders in Axis II (borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder);
2. a treatment history of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), modified ECT, transcranial direct current stimulation, tACS, deep brain stimulation, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS);
3. risk for suicide (defined as a score of ≥ 3 on the suicide item of HAMD-17);
4. known allergy to electrode materials;
5. inability to communicate with researchers fluently;
6. traumatic brain injury;
7. cerebrovascular or cardiovascular stents;
8. substance use disorder (abuse or dependence, as defined by DSM-IV-TR) in the previous six months;
9. for females, pregnant or breastfeeding, or females of childbearing potential refused to use reliable contraceptive methods during the study;
10. dementia (as defined by Short Blessed > 10 and/or clinical evidence of dementia);
11. participated in other clinical research within three months before enrollment in this study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
active transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)	transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)	true stimulation.
Sham tACS	Sham tACS	no active stimulation

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS): Change From Baseline in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Score After 4 weeks of Treatment	week 0, 4	The MADRS has 10-items which are based on mood symptoms over the past 7 days. Each items is scored 0 (normal) to 6 (severe depression) with overall score ranges from 0 (normal) to 60 (severe depression).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
EuroQol-5 Dimension-level Scale (EQ-5D-5L): the change from baseline to Week 4 and Week 8 in EQ-5D-5L.	week 0, 4, 8	EQ-5D-5L is an instrument which evaluates the generic quality of life. The descriptive system comprises five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has 5 levels: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems, and extreme problems. The score ranges from 5 (having no problems) to 25 (being unable to do/having extreme problems).
Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17): the changes of HAMD-17 scores and its subscales from baseline to Week 4 and Week 8.	week 0, 4, 8	HAMD-17 ranges from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating more depression; a score of 20 or more indicates a moderate to severe depression.
Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS): remission (defined as MADRS total score ≤10) at Week 4 and Week 8; response is a ≥50% reduction in MADRS total score from baseline to Week 4 and Week 8	week 0, 4, 8	The MADRS has 10-items which are based on mood symptoms over the past 7 days. Each items is scored 0 (normal) to 6 (severe depression) with overall score ranges from 0 (normal) to 60 (severe depression).
Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I): CGI-I score at Week 4 and Week 8.	week 4, 8	The clinical global impression-improvement scale (CGI-I) is a 7-point scale that requires the clinician to assess how much the patient's illness has improved or worsened relative to a baseline state at the beginning of the intervention. Score 1 presents the patient as much improved, and score 7 presents much worse.
Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S): the change from baseline to Week 4 and Week 8 in Clinical Global Impression- Severity (CGI-S)	week 0, 4, 8	The clinical global impression-severity scale (CGI-S) is a 7-point scale that requires the clinician to rate the severity of the patient's illness at the time of assessment. Score 1 presents normal, not at all ill, and score 7 presents among the most extremely ill patients.