Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41149800›Full record

ArticleMethods and protocols2025

Antidepressant and Related Neurobiological and Neurophysiological Effects of Add-On Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder with Residual Symptoms: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial Protocol.

Carmen Concerto, Fabrizio Bella, Cecilia Chiarenza, Alessandro Rodolico, Antonio Di Francesco, Alessia Ciancio, Stefania Lanzafame, Riccardo Spigarelli, Ludovico Mineo, Antonino Petralia and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Methods and protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

16 authors.

Carmen ConcertoPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7426-5250
Fabrizio BellaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1527-1634
Cecilia ChiarenzaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-4161-0556
Alessandro RodolicoPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Antonio Di FrancescoPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Alessia CiancioPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2327-7080
Stefania LanzafamePsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0009-0006-1365-1760
Riccardo SpigarelliPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Ludovico MineoPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Antonino PetraliaPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2163-1608
Raffaele FerriOasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6937-3065
Massimo LibraDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7232-7737
Rita BellaDepartment of Medical, Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technolgies, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-8332-6863
Manuela PennisiDepartment of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.
Giuseppe LanzaOasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5659-662X
Maria Salvina SignorelliPsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6941-9454

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and disabling condition. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve symptoms by modulating neuroplastic and inflammatory mechanisms. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will recruit adult outpatients with MDD showing residual symptoms despite at least four weeks of stable SSRI treatment. Participants will be randomized to active or sham add-on tDCS while continuing their antidepressant regimen. The intervention will consist of 15 sessions over 3 weeks, targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (anode F3, cathode F4) at 2 mA for 30 min per session. The primary outcome is the reduction of depressive symptoms measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (HDRS), with remission defined as HDRS-17 ≤ 7. Secondary outcomes include cognitive performance (attention, executive functioning, memory), serum biomarkers (BDNF, VEGF, NGF, NRG1, angiogenin, IGF1, IL-6, TNF-α), cortical excitability assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (motor threshold, silent period, intracortical inhibition/facilitation), and cerebral hemodynamics by transcranial Doppler sonography (blood flow velocity, pulsatility, resistivity). Assessments will occur at baseline, post-treatment, and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. This trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of adjunctive tDCS in MDD with residual symptoms and its biological correlates, bridging clinical improvement with electrophysiological and neurovascular mechanisms.

Indexed as

inflammationmajor depressive disorderneuromodulationneuroplasticityoutcome measurestranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID41149800
PMCPMC12566933

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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.