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Brain training with MRI shows promise for depression

NCT ID NCT07694076

Disease control Sponsor: University of Oxford Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 09, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether people with major depression can learn to boost activity in a key motivation area of the brain (the ventral tegmental area) using real-time feedback from a powerful 7-Tesla MRI scanner. Participants will practice this mental technique over multiple sessions to see if it improves mood and motivation. The goal is to develop a new, non-invasive way to help manage depression symptoms.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
real-time MRI biofeedback training
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug, brain-training approach to help people with depression manage their mood and motivation.
What could go wrong
This is an early, small study (60 people) testing a novel technique. It may not produce lasting mood improvements, and the effects might not generalize beyond the lab setting.

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

Jun 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jun 2033

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: * Male or female aged 18-65 years; * Meets DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) as determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Axis Disorders (SCID) or the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI); with a current major depressive episode. * Participants must have a level of understanding of the English language sufficient to agree to all tests and examinations required by the study and must be able to participate fully in the informed consent process. Exclusion Criteria: * Current or history of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, neurocognitive disorder or cognitive impairment * Active substance use disorder within the past 1 year; * Any unstable medical illnesses; * Women who are pregnant; * Any contraindications to MRI * Antidepressant medication initiated within 2 weeks of the Baseline Assessment and concomitant use of any other medication with central nervous system activity during active participation; * Active suicidal intent or plan.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression 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

  • Oxford Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (OxCIN) FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital

    RECRUITING

    Oxford, OX39DU, United Kingdom

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