Can a common ADHD drug boost depression treatment?
NCT ID NCT04509102
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early study tests whether adding Adderall XR (a stimulant) to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve depression symptoms more than rTMS plus a placebo. Thirty adults with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder will take either Adderall or a sugar pill daily for three weeks, starting two weeks before rTMS therapy. The main goal is to see if the combination leads to greater symptom improvement.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Adderall XR (amphetamine)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a way to boost the effectiveness of brain stimulation therapy for depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small trial with only 30 people. The results may not apply to everyone, and Adderall can have side effects like insomnia, anxiety, or increased heart rate.
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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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
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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18 to 65 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: * All subjects will be between the ages of 18-65 and will meet DSM-V criteria for a current episode of major depressive disorder. * Meet criteria for treatment resistance as defined by lack of response to two prior antidepressant trials at adequate dosage and duration. Participants may use any psychotropic medications other than psychostimulants or benzodiazepines, and may continue these medications during the study. * The outside treating psychiatrist must agree that enrollment in the study is safe and acceptable for the subject. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to give informed consent * Lifetime diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder * Lifetime diagnosis of major depressive disorder with psychotic features, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or any other psychotic disorder * History of psychotic symptoms * Lifetime diagnosis of substance use disorder * History of stimulant misuse or abuse * Active substance abuse * Anxiety, tension, or agitation that is of sufficient severity to make it difficult for the subjects to tolerate psychostimulants and/or 10 Hz rTMS treatment * Current use of psychostimulant medication * Current use of benzodiazepines * Current use of an Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) or use of an MAOI within the past two weeks * History of hypersensitivity to Adderall XR * History of intolerance of any psychostimulant medication * Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or plans to become pregnant during the study period * Glaucoma * Presence of motor tics or family history of tic disorder * Symptomatic cardiovascular disease including hypertension, coronary artery disease, arteriosclerosis, cardiomyopathy, or arrhythmia * Hyperthyroidism * Structural cardiac abnormalities * Family history of sudden cardiac death in a first degree relative * History of epilepsy or seizure * History of stroke * History of brain tumor * Presence of any metal in the head * Presence of pacemaker or medical devices implanted close to the site of magnetic stimulation
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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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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UCLA Semel
Los Angeles, California, 90025, United States
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