Home-Based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation In Major Depressive Disorder (HOME)

Depression is a prevalent and debilitating disorder. The most common treatments are antidepressant medications and talking therapies. However, for many individuals, these are not their treatment of choice. Furthermore, even following a full course of treatment with an antidepressant or talking therapy, over one third of patients continue to be unwell. The novel brain stimulation treatment, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), is a potential first-line treatment for major depression. The present research question is whether home-based tDCS is an effective treatment for major depression for adults with major depression. Participants will be randomised to receive either a 10-week course of active tDCS treatment in addition to their standard care (Treatment as Usual), or to only receive Treatment as Usual. Participants will be followed up for 6-months after the start of the treatment began. After the 6-month follow-up visit, all participants from both groups can choose to continue/start the tDCS treatment. There will be a final follow-up visit 3 months later (9 months from the original treatment start of the trial).

NCT Number	NCT07228468
Lead Sponsor	King's College London Collaborators: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust
Conditions	Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
Enrollment	438 participants
Start Date	2025-11-18
Primary Completion	2027-05-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-26