Brain Radio' trial hopes to crack code of depression treatment

NCT ID NCT04106466

First seen Feb 17, 2026

Summary

This study tests a special deep brain stimulation (DBS) device that can both stimulate and record brain activity in people with treatment-resistant depression. Ten participants will have electrodes implanted in a brain region called the subcallosal cingulate. The goal is to identify brain signals that correlate with mood improvement, which could help doctors fine-tune DBS therapy in the future. Participants will track their mood and brain data daily for the first year, with a brief period where the device is turned off to study changes.

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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

Locations

  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai West

    New York, New York, 10019, 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

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) device

What this could lead to

If successful, this could lead to better ways to personalize DBS settings for depression, improving response rates and reducing trial-and-error adjustments.

What could go wrong

This is a very small, early-stage study (10 people) focused on understanding brain signals, not proving a treatment works. The device requires brain surgery, which carries risks like infection or bleeding.

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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