Real-World Effects of Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial of 3-Week Versus 6-Week Protocols.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite growing interest in home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a scalable treatment for depression, real-world evidence regarding its effectiveness, cognitive impact, and safety remains limited. Moreover, the optimal stimulation duration for home-based tDCS has not been clearly established. This study aimed to compare the clinical effects of two home-based tDCS protocols-one with 3 weeks of active stimulation followed by 3 weeks of sham stimulation (3WA) and another with 6 weeks of active stimulation (6WA)-in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods

In this randomized controlled trial, participants diagnosed with MDD were assigned to either the 3WA or 6WA group. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inv

SUBMITTER: Park HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12696033 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature