The study will be a multi-centre parallel group, double blind, non-commercial, randomised controlled superiority trial. Study participants will be referred from Primary Care GP practices via their GP and randomised into active Alpha-Stim AID Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulations (CES) or sham Alpha-Stim AID CES.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
230
Active Alpha-Stim devices will be randomly assigned to participants for use daily for 8 weeks.
Sham Alpha-Stim devices will be randomly assigned to participants for use daily for 8 weeks.
University of Nottingham
Nottingham, United Kingdom
RECRUITINGChange in depression
Determine if there is a significant difference from baseline to 16 weeks on the Grid version of the Hamilton Depression Scale. The GRID-HAMD is a 17 item scale with scores ranging from 0-54. Higher scores indicate increased severity of depression. Scores of 0-7 is generally accepted to be within the normal range (clinical remission) and a score of 20 or above indicates moderate severity.
Time frame: 16 weeks
Cost effectiveness
This will be analysed through the measurement of costs from personal, health and social care perspectives using Client Service Receipt inventory at 4, 8 and 16 weeks. The CSRI is a measure of the full health and social care cost and patient cost of treatment.
Time frame: 16 weeks
Change in anxiety
Determine if there is a significant difference from baseline to 16 weeks on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. The GAD-7 is a 7-item self-rated measure of the severity of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Scores range from 0-21. Scores of 5, 10, 15 and 20 represent cut off points for mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe anxiety.
Time frame: 16 weeks
Change in quality of life - work and social functioning
Determine if there is a significant difference in quality of life related to work and social functioning from baseline to 16 weeks, as measured by the Work and Social Adjustment Scale. The WASA is a 5-item self-rated measure of work and social function. The maximum score of the WSAS is 40, lower scores indicate less impairment in functioning.
Time frame: 16 weeks
Change in quality of life - health related
Determine if there is a significant difference in quality of life related to overall health using a standardized measure developed by the Euroqual group. EQ5D-5L is 5 item standardized instrument for measuring generic health status. It is used by NICE to generate quality adjusted life years for cost effectiveness assessments.
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Time frame: 16 weeks