Personalized and Conventional Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Improve Loneliness and Mood in Adults with Subthreshold Depression

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effects of multi-session transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS on loneliness, mood, and depressiveness in people with subthreshold depression. The study compares personalised tDCS, conventional tDCS, and sham control treatments to understand their impact on these symptoms. Participants prone to depression will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups for this interventional study. The study involves up to 10 tDCS sessions delivered over two weeks. The personalised group receives 20 minutes of 2mA stimulation on individualized brain regions related to social and emotional processing. The conventional group gets 20 minutes of 2mA stimulation over a fixed brain area called F3 in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The sham control group receives only 30 seconds of active stimulation per session to mimic the procedure without therapeutic effects. Participants will complete tests and questionnaires on depression symptoms, loneliness, and mood at screening, before the sessions, immediately after the last session, and three months later. Eligible participants may undergo brain scans using a 3-Tesla MRI machine at baseline and after treatment. During the study, participants will self-report their loneliness and mood daily. The main outcome measured is change in loneliness, with other assessments including depressive and anxiety symptoms, mood, and brain activity changes. The trial lasts from the initial screening through the 3-month follow-up.

tDCS in People With Subthreshold Depression