Could a single brain target treat depression, anxiety, and OCD at once?
NCT ID NCT06282146
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-phase trial tests a new brain stimulation target for people with depression plus at least one other psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety, OCD, or PTSD. The treatment uses a non-invasive form of brain stimulation called accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTMS) aimed at the posterior parietal cortex. The main goal is to check safety and tolerability, while also exploring whether it improves symptoms and changes brain function.
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)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new brain stimulation approach for treating multiple psychiatric conditions at once.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small trial with only 10 participants, so results may not apply widely. Side effects like headache or neck pain are possible.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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10 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Finished
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Jun 2026
- 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
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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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 Hide 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: * Age 18-65 * English proficiency sufficient for informed consent, questionnaires/tasks, and treatment * Diagnosis of MDD per DSM-5 criteria (Quick Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders) and currently experiencing a moderate to severe episode: * \>20 on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) * \>20 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) 14, 15 * Moderate to severe level of treatment resistance (Maudsley Staging Method)16, 17 * Diagnosis of at least one or more of the following psychiatric conditions per DSM-5 criteria (Quick Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders): * Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), or social anxiety disorder (SAD) * Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) * Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) * Physician referral for individuals with either schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder * Stable psychiatric medication regimen, or remain medication free, for 4 weeks prior to treatment and to remain on this regimen throughout the study until the two-week post-treatment visit * Primary clinician (e.g. psychiatrist, therapist, psychologist, APRN, PA, etc.) responsible for psychiatric care before, during, and after the trial * Agreement to lifestyle considerations * Abstain from becoming pregnant from time of screening to two weeks after treatment (post-treatment MRI visit) * Continue usual intake patterns of caffeine- or xanthine-containing products (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) throughout treatment * Abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs for at least 24 hours before the start of each MRI and each TMS session Exclusion Criteria: * Active pregnancy as determined by a urine pregnancy test * Positive urine drug screen for illicit substances (not including THC) * Depressive symptoms refractory to 8 sessions of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) * Recent (within 4 weeks) or concurrent use of rapid acting antidepressant agent (ketamine/esketamine/ECT) * Receiving or planning to receive other TMS treatments during course of participation * History of * Autism spectrum disorder * Neurosurgical intervention for depression * Intellectual disability * Severe cognitive impairment * Significant neurological illness (e.g., dementia, Parkinson's, Huntington's, brain tumor, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, brain lesion) * Untreated or insufficiently treated endocrine disorder * Treatment with investigational drug or intervention during the study period * Depth-adjusted TMS treatment dose \> 65% maximum stimulator output * Existing tinnitus (ringing in the ears) * Current evidence of: * Mania or hypomania * Active suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt (defined by C-SSRS) within the past year * Neurological lesion * Contraindications to either TMS or MRI (e.g., metallic implants, severe insomnia \> 4 hours per night with hypnotic, etc.). * Moderate or severe substance use disorder or demonstrating signs of acute substance withdrawal (not including cannabis or nicotine use disorders) * Bipolar I disorder * For participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder referred by a physician: * Total PANSS score \>90 * Score \>4 (moderate-severe) on any positive PANSS item * Active substance use disorder (other than nicotine) * Hospitalization for psychosis in the past 6 months * Severe borderline personality disorder * Any other condition deemed by the PI to interfere with the study or increase risk to the participant
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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