Brain signals may explain impulsive actions in depressed teens
NCT ID NCT05652153
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study investigates why some adolescents act impulsively when experiencing negative emotions, a trait called negative urgency. Researchers will measure brain cell communication using transcranial magnetic stimulation and EEG in teens aged 13-21 with depression and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Participants complete interviews, questionnaires, computer games, an MRI, and brain-signal tests at the start and again after 6 and 12 months.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could point toward new ways to identify teens at higher risk for suicidal behavior based on brain signaling patterns.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It may not find clear links between brain signals and behavior, and results may not apply to all teens.
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 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
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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13 to 21 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: * Ages 13-21 years (inclusive) * Any sex, gender, race, or ethnicity * For participants 18 years of age or older, ability to provide written informed consent * For participants under 18 years of age, ability to provide written assent, with legal guardian's ability to provide written informed consent * Ability of participant (and parent/guardian, if applicable) to read and to communicate verbally and in writing in English (in order to permit comprehensive assessment of suicide risk by study team, and to facilitate safety planning and mitigation of suicide-related risks as necessary) * Current diagnosis of a unipolar depressive episode (major depressive episode, unspecified depressive disorder, or adjustment disorder with depressed mood), confirmed on the structured diagnostic interview (MINI or MINI-Kid) * For participants in the Dep/SI group: * Any lifetime history of suicidal ideation, as assessed by the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) * No prior history of suicidal behavior (interrupted attempt, aborted attempt, or suicide attempt) as assessed by the C-SSRS * For participants in the Dep/SB group: \-- Any lifetime history of suicidal behavior (interrupted attempt, aborted attempt, or suicide attempt) as assessed by the C-SSRS * If the study participant will be completing any of the assessments remotely through the use of video teleconferencing, access to a reliable internet connection will be required Exclusion Criteria: * Imminent suicide risk as determined by the PI or other study board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist (based on review of C-SSRS and SSI scales and clinical assessment of participant) * Current substance use meeting diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder within the last month on the MINI or MINI-KID diagnostic interview (with the exceptions of caffeine and nicotine) * Lifetime history of psychosis, hypomania, or mania * Historical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disability * Antiepileptic medication use or chronic benzodiazepine use (as-needed benzodiazepine use will be permitted if it can be held on day of study visit with TMS-EEG testing) * Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy in participants capable of becoming pregnant (assessed with urine pregnancy test) * Medical/neurologic history that would pose increased risks for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or factors that would impede completion of study procedures, including: * Neurological disorders including seizure disorder, history of anoxia, history of head injuries with loss of consciousness for greater than 5 minutes * Suicide attempt by hanging or strangulation (asphyxiation) leading to anoxia * Any personal history of seizure or family history of epilepsy * Any metallic implants, fragments, or devices * Any cardiac pacemaker, medication pump, neural stimulator, or other implanted medical device * Risk for increased intracranial pressure (e.g., history of intracranial mass) * History of intracranial surgical procedure * Any contraindication to TMS determined by the TMS Adult Safety Screen (TASS) * Any contraindication to MRI identified on imaging center screening form * Any non-removable hair, head, or neck body modifications that would impede TMS and proper EEG recording
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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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University of Minnesota
RECRUITINGMinneapolis, Minnesota, 55414, United States
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