# Home tDCS with gamified training for depression: 109 patients, no gain over sham in a trial

- Published: 2026-11-14 22:24 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Medicine
- Tags: home-based tDCS, transcranial direct current stimulation, major depressive disorder, cognitive control training, randomized clinical trial, sham stimulation, MADRS, gamified training
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-06e39c7447b9945bd38cd855_home_tdcs_with/

**A randomized trial at three university hospitals found home tDCS plus a cognitive training game feasible and safe, but the MADRS improvement matched the sham group.**

![Home tDCS with gamified training for depression: 109 patients, no gain over sham in a trial](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/f614b3d287e6fa5c.jpg)
*Earth.com*

A multicenter randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open tested home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with gamified cognitive control training in adults with major depressive disorder. The study ran at three university hospitals in Latvia, Germany and Israel. Of 111 enrolled participants, 109 were included in the modified intention-to-treat sample [1].

The active group had 55 participants and the control group 54. Mean age was 33.1 years (SD 10.6), and 69 participants (63.3%) were female. Inclusion required age 18 to 65 years, a 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of at least 13, and either no antidepressant medication or a stable dose [1].

## Design and procedure

Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to active tDCS (2 mA; anode F3, cathode F4) plus a gamified cognitive control training, or to sham tDCS plus a sham game. The trial was double-masked and had a follow-up at week 10. Participants were asked to complete 30 home sessions of 30 minutes each over 6 weeks, with software-assisted electrode positioning [1].

The primary outcome was feasibility, defined as completing at least 20 of 30 sessions with a probability above 50%. The secondary outcome was efficacy, measured as the change in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores from baseline to week 6 [1].

## Results

The feasibility criterion was met: 86 participants (78.9%) completed at least 20 sessions, with a lower bound of the 1-sided 95% CI of 71.5% [1].

MADRS scores improved significantly in both groups at week 6. The difference in mean change between the groups was 0.89 (95% CI, −1.37 to 3.15; Cohen d, 0.10; 95% CI, −0.15 to 0.34), so the data gave insufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis of no difference. Results were similar at week 10. Adverse events were balanced between the groups [1].

The authors concluded that home-based tDCS combined with cognitive control training was feasible and safe in adults with major depressive disorder, but did not show superior efficacy over the control condition. They wrote that future studies should refine the mechanistic alignment between stimulation and cognitive interventions [1].

## Sources

1. [JAMA Network Open](https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.39400)
2. [Earth.com](https://www.earth.com/lifestyle/new-study-shows-that-a-home-video-game-using-brain-stimulation-electrodes-can-help-depression-but-a-fake-version-worked-just-as-well-confusing-scientists)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-06e39c7447b9945bd38cd855_home_tdcs_with/