NCT07185464

Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) in Adolescents With First-episode Depression Who Are Drug-naive: A Randomized, Double-blind, Controlled Pilot Study

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 30 (estimated)
• Sponsor: First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 12 Years – 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

To evaluate the efficacy of tACS treatment.To determine whether tACS can accelerate symptom remission, improve clinical response rates, and facilitate the recovery of emotional and cognitive functions through standardized clinical assessments.To evaluate the safety of tACS treatment.To assess adverse events and side effects in both the intervention and control groups, ensuring the safety and tolerability of tACS in adolescent populations.

Detailed description

This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled pilot trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) combined with sertraline in adolescents with first-episode, drug-naive major depressive disorder (MDD). Eligible participants are aged 12-18 years, meet DSM-5 criteria for a current depressive episode confirmed by K-SADS-PL, have a CDRS-R score ≥40, and have not received antidepressant treatment during the current episode.A total of 30 participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive either active tACS or sham stimulation, in addition to oral sertraline (25 mg/day in the first week, titrated to 50 mg/day thereafter). The active group will undergo 20 sessions over 4 weeks (5 sessions per week) using the NEXALIN ADI device (77.5 Hz, 15 mA, 40 minutes per session). The sham device is identical in appearance but delivers no current. Both participants and operators will remain blinded.Primary outcomes are changes in depressive symptoms, measured by the CDRS-R and BDI. Secondary outcomes include anxiety (SCARED, HAMA), global improvement (CGI-S, CGI-I), mania symptoms (YMRS), suicide risk (C-SSRS), quality of life (PedsQL4.0), sleep (PSQI), rumination (RSS), and cognition (THINC-it). Safety will be monitored through adverse events, vital signs, laboratory tests, and tolerability assessments.This pilot study will provide preliminary evidence on the potential of tACS as an adjunctive treatment for adolescent depression and inform future large-scale trials.

Conditions

• Depression - Major Depressive Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	tACS	This intervention uses the NEXALIN ADI alternating current stimulation device from Beijing Naisilin Technology Co., Ltd., to deliver targeted stimulation to the prefrontal cortex and bilateral mastoid regions. The prefrontal cortex electrode directly stimulates the cerebral cortex, while the mastoid electrodes ensure the synchronized activation of bilateral neural pathways. Stimulation is applied at a frequency of 77.5 Hz and a current intensity of 15 mA, aiming to optimize brainwave synchronization and modulate brain activity. Participants will undergo daily sessions lasting approximately 40 minutes each, for a total of 20 sessions over 4 weeks. The non-invasive nature of the intervention, combined with its precise targeting of specific brain regions, distinguishes it from other neuromodulation therapies. The treatment aims to enhance neural synchronization, promote neuroplasticity, and provide a non-pharmacological therapeutic alternative for patients.
DEVICE	tACS	In the sham stimulation group, participants will receive intervention using a sham device that is identical in appearance, operation, and stimulation protocol to the real tACS device, but does not deliver any current. Both participants and operators will be unable to distinguish between real and sham stimulation based on the device's appearance, sound, or tactile feedback. Device allocation will follow a randomized code generated in advance to ensure blinding and proper group assignment.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-10-01
• Primary completion: 2026-03-30
• Completion: 2026-10-01
• First posted: 2025-09-22
• Last updated: 2025-09-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China