TACS Research Project

03/05/2023

We're still recruiting! If you're a young person experiencing treatment-resistant depression symptoms, we'd love to see you in the lab.

03/05/2023

***We are still recruiting participants!***

Calling all younger people in the Perth region who experience treatment-resistant symptoms of depression! If you're interested in assisting with the development of potential alternative treatments for depression, we welcome your participation in a research project exploring the effectiveness of a relatively new non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) in treating depression.

Compensation for your time will be offered, either in the form of gift cards or study credits for Psychology Students at Murdoch.

To learn more or to assess your eligibility to participate, head to https://linktr.ee/murdochtacsproject

Feel free to also email us at [email protected] if you have any further questions.

General study information:

Murdoch University is running a research project exploring the effectiveness of a relatively new non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) similar to that which has been recently added to the Medicare Benefits Scheme to treat depression (namely repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS.)

This is because recent studies are demonstrating that tACS may potentially reduce depression symptoms and is much safer, cheaper and more accessible than rTMS.

Therefore, this project aims to investigate the effects of tACS on depression symptoms in treatment-resistant younger people (i.e. those who have tried conventional treatment options and experienced little/no reductions in depression symptoms.)

20/02/2023

We also have an Instagram page! Follow here for more project updates.

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20/02/2023

Calling all younger people in the Perth region who experience treatment-resistant symptoms of depression!

Murdoch University is running a research project exploring the effectiveness of a relatively new non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) similar to that which has been recently added to the Medicare Benefits Scheme to treat depression (namely repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS.) This is because recent studies are demonstrating that tACS may potentially reduce depression symptoms and is much safer, cheaper and more accessible than rTMS.

Therefore, this project aims to investigate the effects of tACS on depression symptoms in treatment-resistant younger people (i.e. those who have tried conventional treatment options and experienced little/no reductions in depression symptoms.)

If you are interested in participating (compensation for your time will be offered,) more information is available via the QR code. For an assessment of your eligibility to participate then please email us at [email protected] - we'd love to see you in the lab!

23/10/2022

Participants are needed for a research project investigating the effects of a relatively new, non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial alternating current stimulation (or tACS, for short) on symptoms of depression in younger people! If this is you and you'd like more information, please contact us by scanning the QR code attached. If you're interested in participating, please email us on [email protected] and we hope to see you in the lab!

23/10/2022

For potential participants! Here is our protocol/structure of sessions. This includes a baseline measurement at 14 days prior to the tACS intervention, which will include 6 sessions of stimulation across two weeks. Follow up measures will be taken at both 7 days and 30 days post-intervention. For more information and to find out if you're eligible to join our study, please email us at [email protected] - we hope to see you in the lab!

23/10/2022

Awareness of treatment-resistant depression may be growing but the Australian healthcare system is just beginning to roll out alternative treatments to conventional medication and psychotherapy, such as a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) being added to the Medicare Benefits Scheme in November 2021.

If you experience treatment-resistant symptoms of depression and are looking to try a treatment protocol which may potentially alleviate these in a similar fashion to rTMS, our project offers an intervention using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS,) which recent studies have found has the potential to be a safer, more accessible and much more affordable alternative to rTMS.

For more information, please scan the QR code. If you're interested in participating in our study, please email [email protected] - we hope to see you in the lab!

23/10/2022

Are you an adolescent or younger adult struggling with symptoms of depression? Have you tried conventional treatments, with little or no improvements? Are you located in the Perth region? You may be eligible for our study investigating the effects of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique which, upon recent research, has been suggested to improve symptoms of depression. For more information, please scan the QR code and if you wish to participate, please email us at [email protected] - we hope to see you in the lab!

23/10/2022

Our research project in greater detail - the aim is to investigate the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (or tACS, for short) on treatment-resistant symptoms of depression in younger people.

The treatment protocol involves a baseline measurement at 14 days prior to the tACS intervention, which will include 6 sessions of stimulation across two weeks. Follow up measures will be taken at both 7 days and 30 days post-intervention.

In addition to applying tACS during specific sessions, we will measure your brain activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG) cap over the scalp and a heart rate variability (HRV) using a HRV monitor attached to the torso. We'll also ask you to complete a series of questionnaires asking for information on topics such as your depression symptoms.

If you would like to know more, please scan the QR code. If you are interested in participating, please email us at [email protected] - we hope to see you in the lab!

14/10/2022

Our project received ethical approval by Murdoch University's Human Research Ethics Committee under the code 2020-206. If you're interested in the ethical considerations of our project, please email us at [email protected] or feel free to email the Murdoch Human Ethics Office at [email protected] (you can also call them on 9369 6677.)