Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26176930›Full record

Trial reportSao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina

The Escitalopram versus Electric Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study (ELECT-TDCS): rationale and study design of a non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

André Russowsky Brunoni, Bernardo Sampaio-Junior, Adriano Henrique Moffa, Lucas Borrione, Barbara Schwair Nogueira, Luana Vanessa Marotti Aparício, Beatriz Veronezi, Marina Moreno, Raquel Albano Fernandes, Diego Tavares and 5 more

Open access · diamondAbstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIIRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Sao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. White matter predicts tDCS antidepressant effects in a sham-controlled clinical trial study.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2023
    Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Distinct trajectories of response to prefrontal tDCS in major depression: results from a 3-arm randomized controlled trial.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2021
    Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. tDCS for the treatment of depression: a comprehensive review.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2016
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Temperament and character traits in major depressive disorder: a case control study.Sao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

André Russowsky BrunoniService of Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Bernardo Sampaio-JuniorService of Interdisciplinary Neuromodulation, Laboratory of Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Adriano Henrique MoffaInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Lucas BorrioneInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Barbara Schwair NogueiraInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Luana Vanessa Marotti AparícioInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Beatriz VeroneziInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Marina MorenoInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Raquel Albano FernandesInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Diego TavaresInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Priscila Vilela Silveira BuenoInterdisciplinary Center for Applied Neuromodulation, HU, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ole SeibtDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of New York, New York, USA.
Marom BiksonDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of New York, New York, USA.
Renerio FraguasDepartment and Institute of Psychiatry, HU, USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Isabela Martins BenseñorHU, USP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Universidade de São Paulo · BR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

CONTEXT AND

objectiveMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric condition, mostly treated with antidepressant drugs, which are limited due to refractoriness and adverse effects. We describe the study rationale and design of ELECT-TDCS (Escitalopram versus Electric Current Therapy for Treating Depression Clinical Study), which is investigating a non-pharmacological treatment known as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). DESIGN AND

settingPhase-III, randomized, non-inferiority, triple-arm, placebo-controlled study, ongoing in São Paulo, Brazil.

methodsELECT-TDCS compares the efficacy of active tDCS/placebo pill, sham tDCS/escitalopram 20 mg/day and sham tDCS/placebo pill, for ten weeks, randomizing 240 patients in a 3:3:2 ratio, respectively. Our primary aim is to show that tDCS is not inferior to escitalopram with a non-inferiority margin of at least 50% of the escitalopram effect, in relation to placebo. As secondary aims, we investigate several biomarkers such as genetic polymorphisms, neurotrophin serum markers, motor cortical excitability, heart rate variability and neuroimaging.

resultsProving that tDCS is similarly effective to antidepressants would have a tremendous impact on clinical psychiatry, since tDCS is virtually devoid of adverse effects. Its ease of use, portability and low price are further compelling characteristics for its use in primary and secondary healthcare. Multimodal investigation of biomarkers will also contribute towards understanding the antidepressant mechanisms of action of tDCS.

conclusionOur results have the potential to introduce a novel technique to the therapeutic arsenal of treatments for depression.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAnalysis of VarianceAntidepressive Agents, Second-GenerationCitalopramCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansMajor Depressive DisorderMaleMiddle AgedPlacebo EffectPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesReproducibility of ResultsTime FactorsAntidepressive Agents, Second-GenerationCitalopram

Identifiers

PMID26176930
PMCPMC10876376
OpenAlexW1810025037

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.