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Zapping the Brain's fear center: a new approach to depression

NCT ID NCT07829575

NEW Symptom relief Sponsor: Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, School of Medicine, Tongji University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Summary

Researchers are testing a noninvasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) in adults with major depressive disorder. The trial randomly assigns 60 participants to receive either active stimulation targeting the amygdala or a sham treatment. Participants complete 10 sessions and undergo clinical and brain imaging assessments to see whether the stimulation eases depressive symptoms and changes amygdala-related brain activity.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
transcranial temporal interference stimulation targeting the amygdala
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a noninvasive, drug-free way to ease depression symptoms by targeting a deep brain region linked to emotion.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial of 60 people. The stimulation may not ease symptoms better than a sham treatment, and its effects on brain networks remain uncertain.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 60 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Oct 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 55 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Aged 18 to 55 years, inclusive, with no restriction on sex. 2. Diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), as determined by a study physician. 3. A 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) score ≥17 at screening/baseline. 4. The antidepressant medication regimen must remain stable from at least 30 days before signing the informed consent form through the study period. 5. In the judgment of the investigator, the participant or their legally authorized representative is able to understand the purpose and procedures of the study, comply with the study protocol, and provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. A history of other psychiatric disorders, neurological disorders, or substance abuse that, in the investigator's judgment, may interfere with the assessment of treatment efficacy. 2. A history of epilepsy, seizures, or convulsive episodes. 3. Presence of intracranial metallic foreign bodies or metallic implants in or near the heart. 4. Presence of organic brain disease, or a history of severe head injury or cranial surgery. 5. Receipt of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or other physical treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), within the 30 days before enrollment. 6. An unstable psychiatric condition or significant suicide risk, as assessed by the investigator. 7. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. 8. Current participation in another interventional clinical trial. 9. Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the participant unsuitable for participation in this study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 201204, China

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