Exercise before brain zaps: a new hope for depression?
NCT ID NCT05913401
First seen Jun 10, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether 20 minutes of treadmill exercise before TMS therapy could make the brain more responsive and improve depression outcomes. Twenty-six adults with treatment-resistant depression participated. The main goals were to see if people would accept and stick with the exercise routine, and to measure changes in brain activity.
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the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Contacts and locations
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Locations
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Butler Hospital
Providence, Rhode Island, 02906, United States
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
Aerobic exercise (treadmill) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a simple, safe way to boost the effectiveness of TMS therapy for people with hard-to-treat depression.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, early study (26 people) focused on feasibility, not on proving the treatment works. Results may not apply to everyone, and the exercise may not provide added benefit.
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.