CES for the Treatment of GAD in Young Adults

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Generalized Anxiety Disorder

In brief

The purpose of this research study is to study cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) to determine its effects on symptoms of anxiety in people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) between the ages of 18 - 21 years of age.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06124014

Run by

Electromedical Products International, Inc.

People needed

130

Starts

2024-01-26

Expected to finish

2026-01-21

Last updated by the study team

2026-03-18

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 21. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Capable of signing informed consent form.
• Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study including refraining from changes to treatment unless medically indicated and communicated to the study team.
• Aged 18 - 21 at time of screening visit.
• Diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
• At least mild-to-moderate symptom severity, as indicated by scores of 15 or higher on the clinician-administered HAM-A at the screening visit.
• Concurrent psychiatric medications are allowed. Participants will be required to maintain a sable dose of medications, or remain medication free, for 2 weeks prior to the screening visit, except for antidepressants for which the period of stable dose is 4 weeks prior to screening visit. Concurrent psychotherapy is allowed.
• People of reproductive potential must be willing to use effective contraception (evidence-based hormonal or barrier methods) for at least 1 month prior to the screening visit and agree to use such a method during study participation.

You may not qualify if…

• Time-frames are determined relative to the screening visit.
• Current (any) or previous (> 7 stimulation sessions in last 6 weeks) use of a CES device.
• Inability to tolerate the required minimum stimulation amplitude (200 uA) during the initial device training at the baseline visit.
• Experimental or clinical brain stimulation such as deep brain stimulation or transcranial magnetic stimulation for any indication (current or within 60 days prior to screening visit).
• Implanted medical device that uses electricity anywhere in the body.
• Diagnosis (based on MINI) of bipolar I or II (past or current), moderate or severe alcohol use disorder (within 12 months prior to screening visit), moderate or severe (non-alcohol) substance use disorder (within 12 months prior to screening visit), psychotic disorder (current or lifetime), major depressive disorder with psychotic features, bipolar I with psychotic features, anorexia nervosa.
• Epilepsy (current or history). History of febrile childhood seizures and non-epileptic seizures are allowed.
• Pregnant or breast-feeding.
• Enrollment in clinical trial for any condition (current or within 60 days prior to screening visit).
• Hospitalization for any reason (current or past 2 weeks).
• Self-harming behaviors (current or within two years prior to screening visit).
• Higher than low suicide risk on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS).
• Known cardiac abnormality or clinically significant heart disease.
• Anything that would make participation in the study unsafe or medically unadvisable in the assessment of a study clinician.

Where it is running

• Carolina Center for Neurostimulation — Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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