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Scientists probe Brain's response to TMS to boost depression treatment

NCT ID NCT05996900

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Stanford University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study aims to understand how repetitive brain stimulation (TMS) changes brain activity. Researchers will use special electrodes placed inside the brain (in people with epilepsy) and noninvasive recordings to track these changes. The goal is to find reliable brain markers that show TMS is working, which could help make depression treatment more effective. The study involves 49 adults with either depression or epilepsy.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and intracranial electrodes
What this could lead to
If successful, this could lead to better, more targeted TMS treatments for depression and other psychiatric disorders by identifying clear brain markers of response.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage, observational study focused on understanding brain mechanisms, not testing a new treatment. It may not directly lead to improved therapies, and results may not apply to all patients.

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 49 people

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

Started

Sep 2023

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 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: * Men and women, ages 18 to 65 * Medication-refractory epilepsy requiring phase II monitoring * Must have intellectual capacity to ensure adequate comprehension of the study and potential risks involved in order to provide informed consent * No current or history of major neurological disorders other than epilepsy Exclusion Criteria: * Those with a contraindication for MRIs (e.g. implanted metal) * Any unstable medical condition * Neurological or uncontrolled medical disease * Active substance abuse * Currently pregnant or breastfeeding

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

epilepsy major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Epilepsy Major depressive disorder

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

  • Stanford University

    RECRUITING

    Stanford, California, 94305, United States

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