Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for the Treatment of Bipolar Depression (TDCS-BD)

University of Sao Paulo

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 3; Phase 2

Conditions: Depression, Bipolar

Treatments: Device: Active stimulation; Device: Sham stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02152878

BETTER

Details and patient eligibility

About

Non-invasive brain stimulation therapies have been increasingly investigated in recent years as a treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders, particularly mood disorders. They are particularly appealing since many patients are either refractory or present side effects to standard pharmacological regimens. TDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation). a novel non- pharmacological brain stimulation technique, might help in overcoming some of these issues, since it has low cost, high portability and it is relatively easy to use. TDCS consists in applying a weak, direct current through two electrodes placed over the scalp; the anode and the cathode increasing and decreasing cortical excitability during and beyond the period of stimulation. It is also a safe technique with only mild adverse effects described. Previous studies, some of them from our group, have described that tDCS is an effective technique for major depression. However, the role of tDCS as a treatment for bipolar depression (BD) has been insufficiently investigated. Therefore, our aim is to address the antidepressant effects of tDCS in BD in a randomized, sham- controlled trial in a refractory sample.

Full description

BD represents the greatest burden on patients with bipolar disorder, since the depressive episodes are the most frequent and also particularly associated with suicide 7. BD treatment is controversial, with some stricter guidelines recommending only lithium, lamotrigine and quetiapine as a first-treatment, whereas others allow the use of antidepressants (which can increase manic switch and should be used in association with mood stabilizers) and other anticonvulsants and antipsychotics 8. For refractory BD the available level I evidence is very scarce, with only seven studies exploring this issue hitherto 9. Therefore, the importance of this study proposal is justified considering the burden of the disease, the paucity of current therapeutic studies and the promising results presented for tDCS in unipolar disorder.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• bipolar depressed (type I, II or not otherwise specified) participants with symptoms in spite of an adequate treatment course with mood stabilizers.
• the depressive episode has to be of at least moderate intensity (baseline HDRS>=16)
• read and understand Portuguese

Exclusion criteria

• other neuropsychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia, substance dependence, dementias, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy and so forth (although participants with anxiety disorders can be included whether the primary diagnosis is BDD);
• mixed states, defined as simultaneously presenting (hypo)manic symptoms with a Young Manic Rating Scale (YMRS) > 8;
• pregnancy;
• specific contra-indications to tDCS;
• severe/life-threatening clinical conditions. Participants will have to be drug-free or at stable drug regimen for at least 6 weeks prior to trial onset. Benzodiazepine drugs will be allowed, although only at low doses (less than 20mg/day of diazepam or equivalent).

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

---

60 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Active stimulation

Active Comparator group

Description:

Active stimulation (tDCS) will be used in the dose of 2mA /30 min per day, for 10 days and two extra sessions every other week (total of 12 sessions).

Treatment:

Device: Active stimulation

Sham stimulation

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

For Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, the device is automatically turned off after 30 seconds of stimulation and remains turned off.

Treatment:

Device: Sham stimulation