Can faster brain zaps beat teen depression?
NCT ID NCT06528938
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tests whether giving brain stimulation three times a day (accelerated) works better than the standard once-daily schedule for teenagers aged 16-19 with treatment-resistant depression. Ten participants will receive fMRI-guided theta burst stimulation, a non-invasive technique that uses magnetic pulses to target brain areas linked to mood. The goal is to see which schedule is more feasible and effective at reducing depressive symptoms.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Theta burst stimulation (a type of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) delivered via a Cool B70 coil and X100 MagPro device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a faster, more effective treatment option for teenagers with depression that hasn't responded to standard therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 10 participants, so results may not apply widely. The treatment is still experimental for adolescents, and benefits may not be confirmed in larger trials.
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
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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
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Aug 2024
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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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16 to 19 years
- 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: 1. Voluntary and competent to consent. 2. Ages 16-19 years old. 3. Can speak and read English. 4. Primary and/or predominant diagnosis of major depressive episode without psychotic features in the current episode, confirmed by The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID). 5. Depressive symptoms have not improved after ≥ 1 adequate dose of antidepressant in the current depressive episode. 6. Moderate symptoms in the current depressive episode, indexed by a score of at least 40 on the Children's Depression Rating Scale Revised for depression (CDRS-R). 7. Are able to adhere to the treatment schedule. 8. Have stable psychotropic medications and/or psychotherapy regimen for at least four weeks before participating in the trial. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of bipolar I or II disorder, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) criteria. 2. Current or past substance (\< 3 months) (excluding caffeine or nicotine) or alcohol abuse/dependence, as defined in the DSM-5 criteria. Based on DSM-5 criteria, mild cannabis or alcohol use would be allowed in the past 3 months, moderate to severe would be an exclusion. 3. Current use of illegal substances or cannabis confirmed by urine screening test. 4. Concomitant unstable major medical or neurological disease (e.g., uncontrolled diabetes or renal dysfunction). 5. Organic cause of depressive symptoms (e.g. thyroid dysfunction), ruled out by the treating physician. 6. Acute suicidality or life-threatening due to self-neglect. 7. Are pregnant or breastfeeding, or plan to become pregnant during treatment (pregnancy will be assessed by a urine test). 8. Have a specific contraindication to TMS and/or MRI (e.g., personal history of epilepsy or seizures, metal head implant, pacemaker). 9. Unwilling to maintain the current antidepressant regimen. 10. Taking more than 1 mg/day of lorazepam or equivalent. 11. Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, would impair the participant's ability to complete the study.
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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
1 site. 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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The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research
RECRUITINGOttawa, Ontario, K1Z 7K4, Canada
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