Could a week of brain zaps beat depression?
NCT ID NCT07449338
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests an accelerated version of a brain stimulation treatment called iTBS for depression. Instead of daily sessions over weeks, patients receive 30 short sessions in just 5 to 14 days. Researchers will track mood changes over six months to see if this faster approach works well in a real-world clinic setting.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) delivered via a magnetic coil
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could offer a faster, more convenient brain stimulation option for people with depression, potentially easing symptoms within a week.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (36-150 patients) without a placebo group, so results may not prove effectiveness. The accelerated schedule might cause more side effects like headache or discomfort.
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.
- Participants
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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government agency
The lead sponsor is a government body.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients referred for AiTBS treatment at participating study sites will be invited to participate in the study.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * diagnosis of depression verified through a Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) * provision of signed informed consent form * indication for TMS is depression Exclusion Criteria: * conductive ferromagnetic or other metals implanted in the head or within 30 cm of the treatment coil * implanted device that is activated or controlled in any way by physiological signals * implanted mediation pumps * intracardiac lines, even when removed * any condition that seriously increases the risk of non-compliance or loss of follow-up
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Central Hospital Växjö
RECRUITINGVaxjo, Sweden
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Kungälv Hospital, Kungälv
RECRUITINGKungälv, Sweden
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Sahlgrenska University Hospital
RECRUITINGGothenburg, Sweden
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Reading the Brain's signals to predict who benefits from deep brain stimulation
- Can a phone app that blocks distracting apps ease depression?
- Can teachers and a phone app ease teen depression?
- Can imagining exercise boost brain power after spinal cord injury?
- Can a group program teach teens to cope before therapy starts?
- Can intense brain zaps lift depression? scientists track blood flow in real time