Brain scans and a painkiller may unlock Depression's secrets
NCT ID NCT04276259
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This completed study looked at how the brain processes reward signals to improve mood in people with depression. Researchers used brain scans, a mild magnetic stimulation technique (TMS), and a single injection of buprenorphine (a painkiller) to see how these affect brain activity. The goal was to understand the brain mechanisms behind mood improvement, not to test a new treatment. 120 adults with depressive symptoms took part.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- buprenorphine
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how the brain's reward system influences mood, pointing toward new ways to treat depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on brain mechanisms, not a treatment trial. Results may not lead to a direct therapy or apply to all patients.
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
-
Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
-
120 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Oct 2020
- Finished
-
Mar 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
-
18 to 55 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 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: * Adults, age 18-55 years; fluent in English; * Written informed consent obtained; * Depressive symptoms with or without certain anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety, panic, agoraphobia, social phobia, and specific phobia); * No more than one failed antidepressant trial of adequate dose and duration, as defined by the Massachusetts General Hospital Antidepressant Treatment Response Questionnaire (MGH-ATRQ); * Participants can have previous history of antidepressant treatment but will need to be antidepressant medication-free for at least 21 days prior to the collection of imaging data (five weeks for fluoxetine). Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant over the duration of the study; * History (lifetime) of psychotic depressive, schizophrenic, bipolar (I, II, or NOS), schizoaffective, or other Axis I psychotic disorders; * Meeting M.I.N.I. criteria for substance dependence in the last 6 months, except for nicotine, or substance abuse in the last 2 months; * Requiring immediate hospitalization for psychiatric disorder or have an unstable general medical condition (GMC) that will likely require hospitalization or to be deemed terminal (life expectancy \< 6 months after study entry); * Having epilepsy or other conditions requiring an anticonvulsant; * Receiving vagus nerve stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, or repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation during the current episode. * Currently taking any psychiatric medication or other potential augmenting agents (e.g., T3 in the absence of thyroid disease, lithium, buspirone); Taking thyroid medication for hypothyroidism may be included only if they have been stable on the thyroid medication for 3 months; * Receiving therapy that is depression specific, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Interpersonal Psychotherapy of Depression (participants can participate if they are receiving psychotherapy that is not targeting the symptoms of depression, such as supportive therapy, marital therapy); * Currently actively suicidal or considered a high suicide risk; * Patients are receiving opioid analgesics. * Patients are currently dependent on opioids. * Patients are in acute opioid withdrawal. * Any individual who has failed the naloxone challenge test or who has a positive urine screen for opioids. * Any individual with a history of sensitivity to buprenorphine or naltrexone. * Currently enrolled in another study, and participation in that study contraindicates participation in this study; * Any reason not listed herein yet, determined by the site PI and research staff that makes participation in the study hazardous. * Having any contraindication for the performance of TMS, such as the presence of a neurologic disorder or medication therapy known to alter seizure threshold (e.g., stroke, aneurysm, brain surgery, structural brain lesion, brain injury, frequent/severe headaches), recurrent seizures or epilepsy in participant or family history of hereditary epilepsy, pregnancy, metallic implants in body or other devices that may be affected by magnetic field or significant heart disease or cerebrovascular disease. * Having any contraindication for the performance of an MRI, such as the presence of metal implants or foreign metallic objects (e.g., braces or extensive dental work), severe claustrophobia, or inability to tolerate the scanning procedures.
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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
-
Bellefield Tower
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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