Summary:
Volunteers with Depression needed for tDCS Study: If you have been diagnosed with depression, are unmedicated or on stable antidepressant medication, are between 18-55 years old, and are able to receive a brain scan - you may be eligible to participate in a depression research study using neurostimulation.
- This study uses transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulation therapy, which is sometimes shown to reduce depressive symptoms.
- This study involves 13 visits to our laboratory over two-to-three weeks.
- Study procedures include 30-minute tDCS sessions delivered at each visit.
- The research also includes a brain scan at three different time points, before and after receiving tDCS.
- Participants can earn up to $650 for completing all appointments.
Protocol ID: IRB#17-000779 UCLA IRB Approved Approval Date: 5/24/2018 Through: 5/23/2019 Committee: Medical IRB 3
This research study will examine how transcranial direct current stimulation (or tDCS) might work to reduce depressive symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (or tDCS) is a type of neuromodulation that uses electrodes placed on the scalp to deliver a constant, low current over a period of time. Prior research has shown that tDCS may be helpful for reducing depressive symptoms in some, but not all, patients with depression. Unfortunately, we cannot know if any particular patient with depression will benefit with tDCS treatment. To improve our understanding of how tDCS might work for reducing depressive symptoms, this study is designed to examine how tDCS influences brain signals measured with non-invasive MRI scans. To make sure the changes in brain signal are related to tDCS and not to other factors, one third of the participants enrolled in this study will be randomized to receive sham or non-active tDCS treatment. This means that if you enroll in this study, you will not know until after the study is complete if you received active tDCS treatment. If you do not receive active treatment during the study, you may request to receive the same number of active tDCS sessions after the study.
Participation starts with a phone screening, followed by visit #1 at UCLA, which lasts about 4 hours and will include a clinical evaluation, health history, mood assessments, and a short 30-minute MRI scan that will be used to help determine where to best place the electrodes on your scalp for tDCS. The study doctors will need to review the results of these interviews before confirming if you qualify for research participation. If eligibility is confirmed, you will then be scheduled for a 12 additional study visits that will start a few days after your initial visit. On the second visit, you will receive another MRI scan with tDCS administered at the same time. This scan will last approximately 1 hour. During this appointment, you will again be asked about your mood and will complete some brief computerized tests of cognition and memory. The total appointment time will last approximately 3-4 hours. Over the next 10 consecutive days (excluding weekends), you will return to UCLA for 10 additional visits. During these visits you will receive tDCS in a private room for 30-minutes and complete brief mood assessments. The total appointment time for these 10 visits will be approximately 1-hour. For the 7th visit, the appointment will also include tests of cognition and memory and last approximately 3.5-hours. For the final (13th) visit, you will again receive an MRI scan with tDCS administered at the same time, complete a number of surveys, and complete brief computerized tests of cognition and memory. During this visit you will also receive compensation for your participation in the study.
This research study is being conducted with support from the UCLA Depression Grand Challenge and the National Institute of Mental Health Human Connectome Project, which aims to acquire and share data about the structural and functional connectivity underlying human brain function as well as disease. For this reason, we will give access to some of the data, including MR images and most behavioral data, to the general public via the internet or other investigators that have been approved by the study researchers. Your data will be coded and will not have your name on it. Letting us use and share your data is voluntary, however, you must be willing to share your data in this way in order to participate in this study. If you are not willing, you cannot participate in this research study.
Qualifications:
- Patients must be diagnosed with depression and currently experiencing moderate-to-severe depression.
- Patients must be able to undergo MRI scanning.
- This means that patients cannot have any metal implants, such as a pacemaker, aneurysm clip, non-removable piercings, or permanent retainers.
- This means that patients cannot experience claustrophobia. MRI scans require being inside of a small space for up to an hour at a time.
- This means that women who are pregnant or at risk for becoming pregnant are not eligible.
- Patients currently taking benzodiazepines or decongestants must refrain from taking them for the duration of the trial
- Patients must be able to have an electrode cap comfortably placed on their head, in the same position, at each visit. This means that your hair must allow you to comfortably wear a standard baseball cap, and you must agree to refrain from making any drastic hair changes for the duration of the study.
- Patients must live in Los Angeles.
- Patients who are currently receiving antidepressant therapy must be stable on their medications for at least 6 weeks prior to study participation
- Patients cannot be receiving any form of psychotherapy
- Patients must not have received any neuromodulation treatment (e.g., ECT, rTMS, DBS, VNS, or tDCS) within the last 3 months
- Patients must not have neurological conditions or major illnesses, including seizure disorder
Qualified Participants May Receive:
- Participants can earn up to $650 for completing all appointments.