At‑home tDCS maintenance for depression
At-home tDCS as Maintenance Therapy Following Successful Treatment With rTMS, ECT, and Esketamine - A Pilot Study
This pilot tests whether an at-home transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) program can help adults with depression maintain improvements achieved during inpatient treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Technical University of Munich Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (München, Bavaria and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07269964 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This open-label pilot enrolls adults who improved or stabilized after acute inpatient treatments such as esketamine, rTMS, or ECT and provides standardized training plus a portable tDCS device for home use. Participants complete 20 home sessions over four weeks with remote monitoring and a two-week follow-up, and clinicians collect self-report and clinician-rated mood scales. The primary focus is feasibility and tolerability—whether participants reliably complete the home program and remain in the study—and secondarily to look for early signs of maintained symptom improvement. Safety exclusions include high suicide risk, implants near the head, or significant skin disease at electrode sites.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (≥18) with recurrent or severe depressive episodes who have improved or stabilized following acute hospital treatments (esketamine, rTMS, or ECT), can give informed consent, and have no contraindications to tDCS are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People currently in an acute crisis or with high suicide risk, major unstable medical/neurological comorbidities, or contraindications to tDCS (for example, nearby implants or skin disease at electrode sites) are unlikely to benefit and are excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a convenient, low-cost home maintenance option to help prevent relapse after intensive inpatient depression treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Clinic-based tDCS has shown modest antidepressant effects in prior studies, but at-home maintenance programs are relatively untested and existing evidence is limited and preliminary.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults (≥18 years). * Diagnosis according to ICD-10: recurrent depressive disorder, severe depressive disorder, schizoaffective disorder (depressive episode) or bipolar affective disorder (depressive episode). * Clear indication for maintenance therapy after successful acute treatment (esketamine, rTMS, or ECT) with remission/improvement of symptoms. * Capacity to provide informed consent, confirmed in a physician-led consent discussion. Exclusion Criteria: * Currently in the acute treatment phase of an affective disorder and non-response to previous treatments. * Currently clinically relevant Axis II disorders. * Suicidal risk, including suicidal ideation. * Contraindications for tDCS: e.g., skin disease at electrode sites, cochlear implants. * Neurological, somatic, or psychiatric comorbidities that could compromise validity or safety.
Where this trial is running
München, Bavaria and 1 other locations
- Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Munich, — München, Bavaria, Germany (Enrolling_by_invitation)
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, University Hospital — München, Germany (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Ulrike Vogelmann, Dr. med.
- Email: ulrike.vogelmann@mri.tum.de
- Phone: +4917661535471
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.