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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Therapy for Bipolar Depression

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Therapy for Bipolar Depression

Completed

Open to: ALL

Age: 18.0 - N/A

Medical Conditions

Depression, Bipolar
Bipolar Disorder
Mood Disorders
Mental Disorder


This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Bipolar disorder is a severe and disabling disorder. The course of illness is often progressive but is highly heterogeneous between individuals and within the lifetime for an individual. The most common treatments are medications. However, for many individuals, combinations of medications are often required, and full recovery is infrequent.

The novel brain stimulation treatment, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is a potential first-line treatment for bipolar depression. The present research question is whether tDCS can be provided as a home-based treatment for bipolar depression for adults with bipolar disorder.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

May 2022 May 2024

Publications

"Mutz J, Edgcumbe DR, Brunoni AR, Fu CHY. Efficacy and acceptability of non-invasive brain stimulation for the treatment of adult unipolar and bipolar depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised sham-controlled trials. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2018 Sep;92:291-303. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.015. Epub 2018 May 12."; "29763711"; "Mutz J, Vipulananthan V, Carter B, Hurlemann R, Fu CHY, Young AH. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of non-surgical brain stimulation for the acute treatment of major depressive episodes in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMJ. 2019 Mar 27;364:l1079. doi: 10.1136/bmj.l1079."; "30917990"; "Woodham R, Rimmer RM, Mutz J, Fu CHY. Is tDCS a potential first line treatment for major depression? Int Rev Psychiatry. 2021 May;33(3):250-265. doi: 10.1080/09540261.2021.1879030. Epub 2021 Mar 11."; "33706656"; "Woodham RD, Rimmer RM, Young AH, Fu CHY. Adjunctive home-based transcranial direct current stimulation treatment for major depression with real-time remote supervision: An open-label, single-arm feasibility study with long term outcomes. J Psychiatr Res. 2022 Sep;153:197-205. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.026. Epub 2022 Jul 8."; "35839661"; "Rezaei H, Woodham RD, Ghazi-Noori AR, Ritter P, Bauer M, Young AH, Bramon E, Fu CHY. Acceptability of home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in bipolar depression: thematic analysis of individual views. BMC Psychiatry. 2025 May 26;25(1):549. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06948-4."; "40420071"; "Rezaei H, Woodham RD, Ghazi-Noori AR, Ritter P, Bauer M, Young AH, Bramon E, Fu CHY. Acceptability of Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Bipolar Depression: Thematic Analysis of Individual Views. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2025 Apr 15:rs.3.rs-5967699. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5967699/v1."; "40321750"; "Ghazi-Noori AR, Woodham RD, Rezaei H, Sharif MS, Bramon E, Ritter P, Bauer M, Young AH, Fu CHY. Home-based transcranial direct current stimulation in bipolar depression: an open-label treatment study of clinical outcomes, acceptability and adverse events. Int J Bipolar Disord. 2024 Aug 20;12(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s40345-024-00352-9."; "39162912"

INTERVENTIONAL

Intervention Type : DEVICE
Intervention Description : tDCS at 2mA in 30 minute sessions for 5 sessions per week for 3 weeks and then 2 sessions per week for 3 weeks.

Intervention Arm Group : Device: transcranial direct current stimulation;



You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


This is in the inclusion criteria above


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • University of East London
    London
    E16 2RD


The study is sponsored by University of East London and is in collaboration with University College, London; King's College London; Technische Universität Dresden.




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Read full details for Trial ID: NCT05436613
Last updated 28 July 2025

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