Article
CES Clinical Trial Article.pdf
Journal of Affective Disorders
(2014)
Abstract
Background: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders and are usually treated
with medication and/or psychotherapy. When anxiety disorders are accompanied with comorbid
depression, this further complicates the treatment process. Medication compliance is a common
problem due to adverse side effects and new and effective treatments that have minimal side effects
are needed for the treatment of anxiety and depression. This study used a randomized, double-blind,
sham controlled design to examine the effectiveness of CES as a treatment for anxiety disorders and
comorbid depression in a primary care setting. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov,
NCT01533415.
Methods: One hundred and fifteen participants, age 18 years and over, with a primary diagnosis of an
anxiety disorder were enrolled from February 2012 to December 2012 The Hamilton Rating Scale for
Anxiety (HAM-A) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale17 (HAM-D17) were used for baseline and
outcome measures at weeks one, three, and five. Response to treatment was defined as a reduction of
Z50% or more on these measures.
Results: Analysis of covariance revealed a significant difference between the active CES group and
the sham CES group on anxiety (p ¼ 0.001, d ¼ 0.94) and on depression (p ¼ 0.001, d ¼ 0.78) from
baseline to endpoint of study in favor of the active CES group.
Conclusions: CES significantly decreases anxiety and comorbid depression. Subjects reported no
adverse events during the study.
Keywords
- anxiety,
- depression,
- cranial electrotherapy stimulation
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring April 11, 2014
Citation Information
Timothy H. Barclay. "CES Clinical Trial Article.pdf" Journal of Affective Disorders Vol. 164 (2014) p. 171 - 177 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/timothy-barclay/6/