Late-Life DepressionNCT07637773
Investigating the Efficacy and Mechanisms of Individualized tACS Targeting Anhedonia in Late-Life Depression
A study testing Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) in people with Late-Life Depression and Anhedonia, run by Jie Li at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This project focuses on clinical translational research into personalized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) for treating anhedonia in late-life depression (LLD). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Late-Life Depression, Anhedonia
- What is being tested?
- Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 16 Mar 2026to 31 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- (1) Patients were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) - Clinical Version (SCID-5-CV) to confirm that they met the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for "major depressive disorder"; (2) Age ≥ 60 years; gender not restricted; (3) Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD)-17 score > 24
Who cannot join
- (1) History of severe head trauma or serious neurological conditions such as epilepsy; (2) Any brain devices or implants, including cochlear implants and aneurysm clips; treatments such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
- Individuals who have undergone other physical modulation therapies within the past 8 weeks, including but not limited to non-convulsive electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
China1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Tianjin Anding Hospital
Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, 300222
Daliang Sun, Doctor, +86 88188876, 474929588@qq.com
About this study
Official title: Efficacy and Mechanisms of Personalized tACS Targeting Anhedonia in Late-Life Depression
This project focuses on clinical translational research into personalized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) for treating anhedonia in late-life depression (LLD). Key components include: (1) Optimizing individualized tACS treatment parameters through randomized, double-blind, controlled trials and establishing precise treatment protocols using deep learning algorithms; (2) Assessing the short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (3 months) efficacy of tACS on depressive symptoms and anhedonia using scales such as the HAMD, SHAPS, and DARS, while monitoring safety; (3) Integrating multimodal detection technologies (64-channel EEG, inflammatory factors/neurotransmitters, etc.) to elucidate the mechanisms by which tACS alleviates anhedonia through modulating prefrontal neural oscillations (y-band), improving synaptic plasticity (increased BDNF), and regulating neurotransmitters (5-HT, DA). This study will establish, for the first time, an individualized parameter system for tACS treatment of LLD, providing a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for clinical practice.
Read the detailed description
This project aims to explore effective treatment strategies and mechanisms of action for personalized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targeting anhedonia in late-life depression (LLD). Late-life depression has a high prevalence, with 70% of patients exhibiting symptoms of anhedonia, which is
. Current pharmacological treatments face challenges such as poor response rates and significant side effects, creating an urgent need for novel intervention strategies. As a non-invasive neurostimulation technique, tACS can improve depressive symptoms by modulating brain oscillatory activity; however, personalized treatment protocols and mechanisms specifically targeting anhedonia in LLD remain unclear. By optimizing tACS parameters, validating clinical efficacy, and elucidating the underlying neural mechanisms, this project will fill a research gap in this field. The findings will not only provide safe and effective non-pharmacological treatment options for patients with geriatric depression, thereby reducing suicide risk, but will also advance the application of tACS technology in precision medicine for mental disorders, holding significant clinical value and social implications.
- Conditions
- Late-Life Depression, Anhedonia
- Being tested
- Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), shame tACS
- Keywords
- transcranial alternating current stimulation, late-life depression, anhedonia, Brain function
- Medical subject headings
- Anhedonia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)Device
divided into a real-stimulus group and a sham-stimulus group
shame tACSDevice
The sham tACS group received 40 Hz tACS with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 1 mA, a frequency of y, and a sinusoidal waveform. The stimulation sites were located in the prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) based on the 10-20 system of international EEG electrode placement, with CZ serving as the return electrode, which did not generate stimulation pulses.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| active | Active comparator | The peak-to-peak amplitude was 1 mA at 40 Hz (tACS), with a frequency and a sinusoidal stimulation waveform. The stimulation sites were located in the prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) based on the 10-20 international EEG electrode placement system, with CZ serving as the return electrode. Receives: Device: Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) |
| shame | Sham comparator | The peak-to-peak amplitude was 1 mA at 40 Hz (tACS), with a frequency and a sinusoidal stimulation waveform. The stimulation sites were located in the prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) based on the 10-20 international EEG electrode placement system, with CZ serving as the return electrode, shame arm is not biologically active. Receives: Device: shame tACS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS)
The Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) assesses the degree of anhedonia in patients.
Measured: 12 week
Secondary outcomes (1)
Hamilton Depression Scale，HAMD -17
The severity of a patient's depressive symptoms is assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD)-17. This scale consists of 17 items that comprehensively evaluate a patient's depressive symptoms; the higher the score, the more severe the depressive symptoms.
Measured: 12 week
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jun 2026
- Study start16 Mar 2026
- Primary completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Late-Life DepressionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Jie Li
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Jie Li, Tianjin Anding Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07637773
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- tACS-MDD
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 29 May 2026
- Last updated
- 10 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Recruitment for this study is currently underway, and we are unable to disclose specific experimental data at this time.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Efficacy and Mechanisms of Personalized tACS Targeting Anhedonia in Late-Life Depression
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07637773
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- tACS-MDD
- Conditions
- Late-Life Depression, Anhedonia
- Keywords
- transcranial alternating current stimulation, late-life depression, anhedonia, Brain function
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Jie LiUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 16 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This project focuses on clinical translational research into personalized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) for treating anhedonia in late-life depression (LLD). Key components include: (1) Optimizing individualized tACS treatment parameters through randomized, double-blind, controlled trials and establishing precise treatment protocols using deep learning algorithms; (2) Assessing the short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (3 months) efficacy of tACS on depressive symptoms and anhedonia using scales such as the HAMD, SHAPS, and DARS, while monitoring safety; (3) Integrating multimodal detection technologies (64-channel EEG, inflammatory factors/neurotransmitters, etc.) to elucidate the mechanisms by which tACS alleviates anhedonia through modulating prefrontal neural oscillations (y-band), improving synaptic plasticity (increased BDNF), and regulating neurotransmitters (5-HT, DA). This study will establish, for the first time, an individualized parameter system for tACS treatment of LLD, providing a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for clinical practice.
Detailed description
This project aims to explore effective treatment strategies and mechanisms of action for personalized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targeting anhedonia in late-life depression (LLD). Late-life depression has a high prevalence, with 70% of patients exhibiting symptoms of anhedonia, which is
. Current pharmacological treatments face challenges such as poor response rates and significant side effects, creating an urgent need for novel intervention strategies. As a non-invasive neurostimulation technique, tACS can improve depressive symptoms by modulating brain oscillatory activity; however, personalized treatment protocols and mechanisms specifically targeting anhedonia in LLD remain unclear. By optimizing tACS parameters, validating clinical efficacy, and elucidating the underlying neural mechanisms, this project will fill a research gap in this field. The findings will not only provide safe and effective non-pharmacological treatment options for patients with geriatric depression, thereby reducing suicide risk, but will also advance the application of tACS technology in precision medicine for mental disorders, holding significant clinical value and social implications.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| active | Active comparator | Device: Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)The peak-to-peak amplitude was 1 mA at 40 Hz (tACS), with a frequency and a sinusoidal stimulation waveform. The stimulation sites were located in the prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) based on the 10-20 international EEG electrode placement system, with CZ serving as the return electrode. |
| shame | Sham comparator | Device: shame tACSThe peak-to-peak amplitude was 1 mA at 40 Hz (tACS), with a frequency and a sinusoidal stimulation waveform. The stimulation sites were located in the prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) based on the 10-20 international EEG electrode placement system, with CZ serving as the return electrode, shame arm is not biologically active. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- (1) Patients were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) - Clinical Version (SCID-5-CV) to confirm that they met the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for "major depressive disorder"; (2) Age ≥ 60 years; gender not restricted; (3) Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD)-17 score > 24
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- (1) History of severe head trauma or serious neurological conditions such as epilepsy; (2) Any brain devices or implants, including cochlear implants and aneurysm clips; treatments such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).
- Individuals who have undergone other physical modulation therapies within the past 8 weeks, including but not limited to non-convulsive electroconvulsive therapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcranial direct current stimulation.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)divided into a real-stimulus group and a sham-stimulus group | Device | active |
| shame tACSThe sham tACS group received 40 Hz tACS with a peak-to-peak amplitude of 1 mA, a frequency of y, and a sinusoidal waveform. The stimulation sites were located in the prefrontal cortex (F3 and F4) based on the 10-20 system of international EEG electrode placement, with CZ serving as the return electrode, which did not generate stimulation pulses. | Device | shame |
Primary outcome
Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS)
Time frame: 12 week
The Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) assesses the degree of anhedonia in patients.
1 secondary outcome
Hamilton Depression Scale，HAMD -17
Time frame: 12 week
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Recruitment for this study is currently underway, and we are unable to disclose specific experimental data at this time.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) in people with Late-Life Depression and Anhedonia, run by Jie Li at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Daliang Sun Da liang Sun, Doctor (+86 88188876, 474929588@qq.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS) (time frame: 12 week). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Jun 2026.