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5-Day brain zapping trial aims to lift severe depression fast

NCT ID NCT04684706

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests an accelerated version of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for people with treatment-resistant depression. Instead of the usual 6-week course, participants receive 10 sessions per day for 5 days. The goal is to see if this intense schedule can quickly reduce depressive symptoms in 40 adults who have not improved with at least two prior treatments.

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) via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a fast-acting option for people with depression that hasn't responded to other treatments.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The intensive protocol may cause 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.

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 40 people

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

Started

Feb 2020

Expected to finish

Jan 2027

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 70 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: * Gender, inclusive * 18 - 70 years of age * Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for primary diagnosis of MDD * Patients must be fluent in English * Participants must have the ability to provide consent * Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale score ≥20 * Failed 2+ prior treatments (treatment-refractory) * May be on current anti-depressant medication at the discretion of PI, if not exceeding doses that would make TMS an increased risk Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy (Female participants) * MRI contraindication * Medical condition that interferes with the collection or interpretation of MRI data * Implanted devices such as: aneurysm clip or cardiac pacemaker * Diagnosis of stroke, epilepsy, or other neurological disorders interfering with treatment at PI discretion * Any factor the investigator believe may affect participant safety or compliance (ex: ≥100 miles from clinic) * Current alcohol or substance use disorder in last 3 months

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depressive Disorder, Treatment-Resistant

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Treatment-resistant depression

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

  • Department of Interventional Psychiatry, University of California San Diego

    La Jolla, California, 92093, United States

More trials for these conditions

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