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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression

NCT02152878 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE2/PHASE3 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2016-11-22

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Non-invasive brain stimulation therapies have been increasingly investigated in recent years as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly mood disorders. They are particularly appealing since many patients are either refractory or present side effects to standard pharmacological regimens. TDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation). a novel non- pharmacological brain stimulation technique, might help in overcoming some of these issues, since it has low cost, high portability and it is relatively easy to use. TDCS consists in applying a weak, direct current through two electrodes placed over the scalp; the anode and the cathode increasing and decreasing cortical excitability during and beyond the period of stimulation. It is also a safe technique with only mild adverse effects described. Previous studies, some of them from our group, have described that tDCS is an effective technique for major depression. However, the role of tDCS as a treatment for bipolar depression (BD) has been insufficiently investigated. Therefore, our aim is to address the antidepressant effects of tDCS in BD in a randomized, sham- controlled trial in a refractory sample.

Conditions

  • Depression, Bipolar

Interventions

DEVICE

Sham stimulation

For sham tDCS, the device will be turned off after 30 seconds of stimulation.

DEVICE

Active stimulation

For active tDCS, we will place the anode and the cathode over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex areas, respectively (corresponding to F3 and F4 according to the EEG 10-20 system). We will use 5x5 cm electrodes and a 2mA current for 30 minutes per day. This montage is known as "bifrontal" setup and has been previously used in major depression trials

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

    collaborator OTHER

  • University of Sao Paulo

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Andre R Brunoni, MD, PhD · University of Sao Paulo

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2014-04-30
Primary Completion
2016-07-31
Completion
2016-11-30

Countries

  • Brazil

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02152878 on ClinicalTrials.gov