Efficacy of Triple-daily 15mA tACS on Adolescent NSSI

Shanghai Mental Health Center

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Self-Injurious Behavior

Treatments: Device: Sham-tACS; Device: Active-tACS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06919432

2024y1023

Details and patient eligibility

About

In order to assess the clinical efficacy of triple-daily 15mA-tACS stimulation by comparing the effects of active and sham tACS interventions on driving improvements in adolescent Nonsuicidal Self-Injury(NSSI), participants will be randomly assigned to either the active or sham tACS group. This trial consists of a 2-week intensified intervention phase (40 sessions), followed by a 4-week observation period. The key hypothesis is that triple-daily 15mA-tACS stimulation will enhance clinical recovery compared to sham stimulation.

Full description

Recognizing the clinical shortcomings of traditional methods for adolescent NSSI, study objective is to establish evidence supporting the efficacy of a triple-daily 15mA-tACS stimulation regimen targeting the forehead and both mastoids. This intervention will be administered five days a week over a four-week treatment period, with the aim of eliciting substantial clinical improvements in adolescent NSSI compared to a sham intervention. On the first day of the intervention, participants will receive a tACS session, followed by triple-daily tACS sessions administered for 13 consecutive days. Following the completion of treatment, participants will undergo follow-up observations every 7 days for 4 weeks. EEG and ECG recordings will be obtained at baseline, on day 1 after the first session, at the end of the 2-week intervention period (after 40 sessions), and at the 6-week follow-up. Throughout the sessions, all evaluations will be conducted under standardized conditions.

Enrollment: 66 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 21 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of NSSI based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria section 3 diagnostic criteria.
• Five or more NSSI episodes in the past year and at least one NSSI episode in the past month.
• Age between 12 and 21 years.
• Informed consent from parents or legal guardians.
• Informed consent from participants aged 15 years and above.

Exclusion criteria

• Current or history of organic brain disorders or neurological disorders.
• Elevated or imminent suicidal risk, as assessed by clinicians during routine screening.
• Previous or current exposure to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), modified ECT, TMS, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), tACS, or other neurostimulation treatments.
• Presence of cochlear implants, cardiac pacemakers, implanted devices, or metal in the brain.
• Previous or current use of psychotropic medication.
• Pregnancy or lactation.
• Participation in another concurrent clinical trial.
• Refusal to provide informed consent to participate in the trial.
• Other circumstances deemed unsuitable for participation by researchers.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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66 participants in 2 patient groups

the active-tACS group

Experimental group

Description:

This trial consists of a 2-week intensified intervention phase (40 sessions), followed by a 4-week observation period. On the first day of the intervention, participants will receive a tACS session, followed by triple-daily tACS sessions administered for 13 consecutive days.

Treatment:

Device: Active-tACS

the sham-tACS group

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants in the sham-tACS group will undergo the same protocol, utilizing a sham tACS incapable of delivering active stimulation. They will be kept unaware of their assigned treatment.

Treatment:

Device: Sham-tACS