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Can a targeted magnetic pulse rewire the depressed brain?

NCT ID NCT05028738

Disease control Sponsor: University of British Columbia 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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial is testing two different forms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to see which might better ease depression and anxiety in people whose symptoms haven't improved with standard treatments. About 100 adults with treatment-resistant depression will receive 30 sessions of either intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) or low-frequency rTMS over six weeks. The study measures changes in depression severity, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts to compare the two approaches.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) using two protocols: intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (LFR)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could help identify a more effective brain-stimulation approach for people with depression that hasn't improved with medication.
What could go wrong
This is a feasibility trial with a relatively small number of participants, so results may not be definitive. The treatment requires daily sessions for six weeks and may cause side effects like scalp discomfort or headache.

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 100 people

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

Started

Oct 2021

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

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 years and older

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: 1. are outpatients; 2. are voluntary and competent to consent to treatment; 3. are ≥ 18 years; 4. have a score ≥ 26 on the IDS-30-SR; 5. have had no increase or initiation of any psychotropic medication in the 4 weeks prior to screening; 6. able to adhere to the treatment schedule; 7. pass the TMS adult safety screening (TASS) questionnaire Exclusion Criteria: 1. have active suicidal intent; 2. are pregnant; 3. have a lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder type I, schizophreniform, schizoaffective disorder or presence of psychotic symptoms within last 3 months; 4. have a concomitant major unstable medical illness; 5. have any significant form of dementia or any history of epilepsy; 6. have any intracranial implant (e.g., aneurysm clips, shunts, stimulators, cochlear implants, or electrodes) or any other metal object within or near the head, excluding the mouth, that cannot be safely removed; 7. If participating in psychotherapy, must have been in stable treatment for at least 3 months prior to entry into the study, with no anticipation of change in the frequency of therapeutic sessions, or the therapeutic focus over the duration of the study; 8. If they are taking psychotropic medication, be on a stable dose for 4 weeks before starting treatment, and no initiation of new regular psychotropic medication; 9. have a clinically significant laboratory abnormality, in the opinion of the one of the principal investigators; 10. have a non-correctable clinically significant sensory impairment (i.e., cannot hear well enough to cooperate with interview).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Major depressive disorder Major depressive episode

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Non-Invasive Neurostimulation Therapies (NINET) Laboratory, UBC Department of Psychiatry

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 2A1, Canada

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