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Can intense brain zaps lift depression? scientists track blood flow in real time

NCT ID NCT06971549

Symptom relief Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic 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
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing an accelerated form of brain stimulation called iTBS for depression. A single participant with major depressive disorder receives 50 iTBS sessions over 5 days while researchers monitor blood flow in the brain using fNIRS. The study measures changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin and tracks depression symptoms before and after treatment.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
What this could lead to
If it works, this could help explain how accelerated brain stimulation changes blood flow in the brain and whether those changes track with mood improvement.
What could go wrong
This is a single-patient study, so any findings may not apply to other people. The treatment involves 50 sessions over 5 days, which is intense, and brain stimulation can cause headaches or scalp discomfort.

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

1 person

The number who actually took part.

Started

Mar 2025

Finished

Jun 2025

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 65 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: * aged 18 to 65; * a clinical diagnosis of current nonpsychotic major depressive disorder by an experienced psychiatrist according to DSM-IV; * no or stable (≥2 weeks) psychopharmacological medication; * have not responded to at least one antidepressant medication; * have not received any TMS treatment; * and have a 17-item HAMD score ≥ 20. Exclusion Criteria: * severe internal diseases; * neurological disorders or a history of severe head injuries; * having suicidal ideation; * pregnancy; * common MRI, fNIRS and TMS exclusion criteria, such as a history of brain surgery, head injury, cardiac pacemaker, deep brain stimulation, intracranial metallic particles, history of seizures * antiepileptics and benzodiazepines corresponding to a dose of \>1 mg lorazepam/d.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression depressive disorder major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Depression

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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