Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42580014›Full record

ArticlePsychiatry research2026

Remotely Supervised Home-Based tDCS in Treatment-Resistant Depression: Feasibility, Effectiveness and EEG Biomarkers of Response.

R Romero-Marín, S López-Rodríguez, S Lakis-Granell, E Buloz-Osorio, M Cabello-Toscano, M Urretavizcaya-Sarachaga, M Alonso-Ortega, M Chopra, J Solana-Sánchez, J Camprodon and 4 more

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Article in Psychiatry research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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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

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

R Romero-MarínGuttmann Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain; Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain; Alimente Foundation, Specialized center for eating-related and behavioral addictions, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: Ruben.RomeroM@autonoma.cat.
S López-RodríguezGuttmann Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Interventional Psychiatry and Neuromodulation Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL); Biomedical Research Networking Center in Mental Health (CIBERSAM); Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
S Lakis-GranellInterventional Psychiatry and Neuromodulation Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL); Biomedical Research Networking Center in Mental Health (CIBERSAM); Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
E Buloz-OsorioGuttmann Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
M Cabello-ToscanoInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, and Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
M Urretavizcaya-SarachagaInterventional Psychiatry and Neuromodulation Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL); Biomedical Research Networking Center in Mental Health (CIBERSAM); Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
M Alonso-OrtegaInterventional Psychiatry and Neuromodulation Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL); Biomedical Research Networking Center in Mental Health (CIBERSAM); Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
M ChopraDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and the Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States.
J Solana-SánchezGuttmann Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain.
J CamprodonMassachusetts General Hospital-Harvard Medical School-Boston-MA-United States, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, United States.
A Pascual-LeoneHinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
D Bartrés-FazInstitut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, and Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
D CapponHinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
G CattaneoGuttmann Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, 08916 Badalona, Barcelona, Spain; Fundació Institut d'Investigació en Ciències de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol, Barcelona, Spain.

Funding

Multifocal transcranial current stimulation for cognitive and motor dysfunction in dementiaR01AG076708 · NIA · HEBREW REHABILITATION CENTER FOR AGED · PI MANOR, BRADLEY D., PASCUAL-LEONE, ALVARO · 2022 to 2024
$2.3M
NIA NIH HHS R01 AG076708
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRemotely supervised home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (HB-tDCS) may expand access to neuromodulation for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), but real-world evidence on candidate biomarkers remains limited.

methodsIn this single-arm pre-post study, 40 adults with major depressive disorder and inadequate response to ≥2 treatments were enrolled. After MRI/clinical screening, 2 were excluded for potential stimulation contraindications and 5 did not start or discontinued within the first sessions for personal reasons unrelated to stimulation. 33 participants completed a 6-week semi-supervised HB-tDCS protocol (42 sessions, 30min, 2mA; anode F3/cathode F4). Baseline and post-treatment assessments included clinician-rated and self-rated depression (MADRS, QIDS-SR16, BDI-II), global cognition (MoCA), quality of life (Q-LES-Q-SF), and neurophysiological markers (resting-state EEG and TMS-EEG). Feasibility, technical incidents, and adverse effects were recorded after each session. Feasibility and safety constituted the primary outcomes; clinical and neurophysiological outcomes were treated as secondary and exploratory endpoints respectively, with biomarker analyses uncorrected for multiple comparisons.

resultsCompleters delivered 1,219/1,386 scheduled sessions (88%). Depressive symptoms decreased from baseline to post-treatment (MADRS -24%, QIDS-SR16 -15%, BDI-II -12%; all p≤.002). Sixteen of 33 (48.5%) achieved ≥25% MADRS reduction (partial response), including 5 (15.2%) with ≥50% reduction. MoCA improved modestly, whereas Q-LES-Q-SF did not change significantly. Adverse effects were mostly mild/moderate (e.g., tingling, headache, scalp dryness), and no stimulation-related serious adverse events occurred. Exploratory analyses suggested higher baseline left-frontal alpha (F3) relative power and candidate TMS-EEG evoked potentials in the left DLPFC (P30, P180) may differentiate responders from non-responders.

conclusionsAn intensive, semi-supervised HB-tDCS program was feasible and well tolerated in TRD and was associated with significant symptom reductions. Candidate EEG/TMS-EEG markers warrant replication in controlled trials.

Indexed as

Depressive Disorder, Treatment-ResistantMajor Depressive DisorderTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultBiomarkersElectroencephalographyFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeBiomarkersMajor depressive disorderMDDtDCSTMSTranscranial direct current stimulationTranscranial magnetic stimulation

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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.