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Can a single IV dose plus brain zaps lift depression faster?

NCT ID NCT04846829

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026

Summary

This early-phase study tests whether giving a single intravenous dose of the antidepressant citalopram together with 10 sessions of theta burst stimulation (a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation) can quickly improve depression symptoms. Thirty adults with major depressive disorder who have not responded to at least two prior medications will receive either citalopram or a placebo infusion plus the brain stimulation. Researchers will track changes in depression scores, brain activity, and mood over four weeks.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
citalopram (a common antidepressant) and theta burst stimulation (a type of brain magnetic stimulation)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a faster or more effective way to treat depression by combining medication with brain stimulation.
What could go wrong
This is a very early, small study (30 people) testing only a single infusion and 10 stimulation sessions. Results may not apply to everyone, and the combination may not work better than either treatment alone.

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

Early phase 1

The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.

Participants

About 30 people

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

Started

Apr 2017

Expected to finish

Apr 2028

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

21 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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * 21-55 years of age. MDD currently depressed subjects will meet DSM-V criteria for MDD based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) (http://www.medicaloutcomes.com/index/mini7fororganizations) with a 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HamD17) (Hamilton, 1960) score \> 17. * Subjects must have failed to enter remission with at least two prior antidepressant medications in the current episode (Vasavada et al., 2016) * Must have been free of any medications known to significantly affect brain function for at least ten days prior to enrollment (except fluoxetine, which will require a five-week washout). Exclusion Criteria: * No unstable medical illness that would prevent completion of participation in the trial (determined as needed from physical examination, ECG, laboratory safety tests, as well as a review of systems). * Clinically significant physical abnormalities as indicated by physical examination, hematological laboratory assay, or urinalysis, defined as: hematology and chemistry laboratory tests that are within normal (+/- 10%) limits with the following exceptions: a) liver function tests (total bilirubin, ALT, AST, and alkaline phosphatase) \< 3 x the upper limit of normal, and b) kidney function tests (creatinine and BUN) \< 2 x the upper limit of normal; * A screening ECG that demonstrates anything other than normal sinus rhythm, normal conduction, and no clinically significant arrhythmias * History of epilepsy, seizures, or severe head trauma; * Resting vital signs on any study visit outside of acceptable parameters (i.e., pulse of 60-100 bpm, blood pressures of 90-150 mm Hg systolic, 50- 90 mm Hg diastolic); * Any indication of suicidal ideation (e.g. as assessed by the suicidality question on the HamD17or the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. * Baseline QT prolongation (QTc\> 450 ms): Given that citalopram has been found to be associated with a dose-dependent risk of ECG QT interval prolongation, in order to avoid the potential risk of causing ventricular arrhythmias including Torsades de Pointes, we will exclude participants from the study who exhibit baseline QTc prolongation. * For women of childbearing age, a positive urine pregnancy test, as well as women who are currently breastfeeding or not using a medically acceptable method of birth control * Presence of any implanted medical device or metal in the body that would render it unsafe to perform TMS or an MRI. * Axis I: the presence of any other primary mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorder, depression secondary to a general medical condition, or substance- induced illness. Subjects also will be excluded if they have current suicidal intent or plan, a history of substance abuse or dependence within the past six months (except nicotine and caffeine), Bipolar Disorder or psychotic disorder (lifetime), eating disorder (current or within the past year), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (lifetime), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, current or within the past year); * Axis III: active medical illness known to significantly affect brain function or that could be etiologically related to the ongoing depression (e.g., untreated hypothyroidism); * Current treatment with a medication known to affect brain function. This would include both psychiatric and centrally-acting neurological agents. The investigators have chosen to exclude these subjects because current medication could affect measures of brain function as well as introduce an uncontrolled treatment effect into the study. Prospective subjects who are currently taking psychiatric medications will also be excluded as the risk of antidepressant discontinuation outweighs the potential benefit of study participation. A history of prior treatment with IV CIT. We have chosen to exclude subjects who have received this treatment because they may have a degree of treatment resistance that would make it less likely for them to respond to treatment in the current protocol. Additionally, if they previously have received CIT the PBO treatment blind in the current protocol may not be effective; * Current treatment with a medication known to affect brain function. We have chosen to exclude these subjects because current medication could affect measures of brain function as well as introduce an uncontrolled treatment effect into the study. These medications include: antidepressants, barbiturates, anticonvulsants/mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, herbal preparations, antipsychotics, muscle relaxants, antimigraine, psychostimulants, anti-Parkinsonian medications, sedating antihistamines, corticosteroids (oral; topical preparations OK), Zyban (bupropion for use in smoking cessation); * Treatment with any of the following medications within the last 30 days prior to randomization: antidepressants, anticonvulsants, hypnotics, antipsychotics, psychomotor stimulants, anti-anxiety agents, or cimetidine; * Current illicit drug use. We will perform urine toxicology screens at baseline; * History of stroke, skull fracture, brain surgery, or transient ischemic attacks, or other brain disease that could affect results; * For women of childbearing age, a positive urine pregnancy test, as well as women who are currently breastfeeding or not using a medically acceptable method of birth control; * History of allergic reaction or intolerance to citalopram (any formulation); and, * History of ECT within the past six months, or history of failure to benefit from prior TMS treatment of MDD.

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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

  • UCLA Depression Research and Clinic Program

    Los Angeles, California, 90024, United States

More trials for these conditions

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