Trial of Bilateral tDCS for Depression

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. Diagnosis (as defined by DSM-IV) of: any psychotic disorder (lifetime); eating disorder (current or within the past year); obsessive compulsive disorder (lifetime); post-traumatic stress disorder (current or within the past year); mental retardation.
• •2. History of drug or alcohol abuse or dependence (as per DSM-IV criteria) within the last 3 months (except nicotine and caffeine).
• •3. Inadequate response to ECT in the current episode of depression.
• •4. Participant is on regular benzodiazepine medication which is not clinically appropriate to discontinue.
• •5. Participant requires a rapid clinical response due to inanition, psychosis or high suicide risk.
• •6. Neurological disorder or insult, e.g., recent stroke (CVA), which places participant at risk of seizure or neuronal damage with tDCS.
• •7. Participant has metal in the cranium, skull defects, or skin lesions on scalp (cuts, abrasions, rash) at proposed electrode sites.
• •8. Female participant who is pregnant, or of child-bearing age, sexually active and not using reliable contraception (urine test for pregnancy will be used).
• •9. Participants who are not fluent in English will not be included in the trial for safety reasons.