Portable Transcranial Electrical Stimulation and Internet-Based Behavioral Therapy for Major Depression Study

First-line treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), antidepressants and psychotherapy, are associated with refractoriness and discontinuation due to side effects, and logistical burdens, respectively. In this scenario, transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is nowadays considered effective and safe for MDD, albeit with a modest effect size, and also prone to logistical burdens when performed in external facilities. In this regard, clinical investigation involving portable tES (ptES), and the potentiation of ptES with remotely-delivered psychological interventions, have shown positive, but preliminary, results. Here, the investigators present the design and rationale of a single-center, multi-arm, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial with digital features, using ptES (ptES) and internet-based behavioral therapy (iBT) for MDD (PSYLECT). This study will evaluate the efficacy, safety, tolerability and usability of (1) active ptES + active iBT ("double-active"), (2) active ptES + sham iBT ("ptES-only"), and (3) sham ptES + sham iBT ("double-sham"), in adults with MDD, with a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale - 17 item version (HDRS-17) score ≥ 17 at baseline, during 6 weeks. No antidepressant washouts will be performed during the trial. Three co-primary hypotheses are presented: changes in HDRS-17 will be greater in (1) "double-active" compared to "ptES-only", (2) "double-active" compared to "double-sham", and (3) "ptES-only" compared to "double-sham". The investigators aim to enroll 210 patients (70 per arm). The results of this trial should also offer new insights regarding the feasibility and scalability of combined ptES and iBT for MDD, in the area of digital mental health.