Can mindfulness and brain scans lift teen depression?

NCT ID NCT05617495

Recruiting now Symptom relief Sponsor: Columbia University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether combining mindfulness meditation with real-time brain scan feedback can help teens with depression. Researchers will train 90 adolescents aged 13-18 to control brain circuits linked to rumination (repetitive negative thinking). The goal is to see if this approach reduces depression symptoms by changing how the brain works.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: Mindfulness-based real-time fMRI neurofeedback
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new brain-training method to ease depression symptoms in teens.
What could go wrong: This is an early study with only 90 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The technique requires an MRI scanner, which is expensive and not widely available.

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

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENCE are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

major depressive disorder rumination disorder Rumination Syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

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

DEPRESSION IN ADOLESCENCE RUMINATION

Contacts and locations

Locations

Columbia University Irving Medical Center
RECRUITING

New York, New York, 10032, United States
Northeastern University
RECRUITING

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.