Treating depression at home with transcranial direct current stimulation: a feasibility study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) offers logistical advantages for treating major depressive disorder (MDD).
• Preliminary studies indicated potential challenges with home tDCS, including side effects and implementation difficulties, necessitating further feasibility research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility, safety, and usability of home-based tDCS for patients with an acute depressive episode.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of home tDCS using standardized depression rating scales.

Main Methods:

• A one-arm feasibility study involving ten outpatients self-administering prefrontal tDCS at home for 30 days.
• Treatment implementation was verified via tDCS recordings, feasibility by compliance, effectiveness by HDRS-21, MDI, and DASS scores, and usability via UEQ.
• Adverse events (AEs) were systematically recorded to assess tolerability.

Main Results:

• Eight out of ten patients did not adhere to the full protocol.
• Adverse events were minimal, and four patients showed a positive response to home treatment based on the Major Depression Inventory (MDI).
• Patients reported positive usability of the home-based tDCS system.

Conclusions:

• Home-based tDCS appears safe and user-friendly in this feasibility study.
• Regular video consultations or alternative safety measures are recommended for home-based tDCS implementation.
• The findings support further investigation into home-based tDCS for major depressive disorder.