NCT02793258

Impact of tDCS on Emotional Processing in Major Depression

Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Emotional Processing in Major Depression

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (actual)
• Sponsor: Hôpital le Vinatier · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Background: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an innovative treatment for major depression. However, its mechanisms of action are still unclear. Major depression is characterized by impaired processing of emotional information, which returns back to normal after successful antidepressant treatment. In this randomized double-blind study, the investigators aim to assess the effect of tDCS on emotional processing in major depression.

Detailed description

Methods: 40 subjects with major depression (20 active treatment and 20 placebo) will receive ten 30-minutes sessions of active two milliamps or sham tDCS (anode over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cathode over right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), twice a day for 5 consecutive days. Psychometric assessment of depression (MADRS,Beck Depression Inventory , CGI) and a neuropsychological assessment will be conducted before and after the treatment. A facial emotion recognition task and an attentional emotional task with measurement of eye-tracking, heart rate, respiratory frequency and skin conductance will be conducted before and after the first session, and after the last session. The investigators hypothesize that active tDCS will improve emotional processing in major depression, and that this will be observed after 1 and 10 sessions of tDCS. Conclusions: Studying the impact of transcranial direct current stimulation on emotional processing in major depression could allow to better understand its antidepressant mechanisms

Conditions

• Major Depressive Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	transcranial direct current stimulation	Subjects will receive 10 30-minutes sessions of two milliamps transcranial direct current stimulation , twice a day for 5 consecutive day. Facial emotion recognition task and attentional task with measurement of eye-tracking, heartrate, respiratory frequency and skin conductance will be conducted before and after the first session, and after the last session.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-07-22
• Primary completion: 2021-05-17
• Completion: 2021-12-01
• First posted: 2016-06-08
• Last updated: 2022-01-27

Locations

1 site across 1 country: France