Brain zapping tailored to you: new study targets depression and anxiety
NCT ID NCT05437705
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study at the University of Pennsylvania is testing whether personalized brain stimulation can reduce negative emotions in people with depression and anxiety. Researchers will use brain scans to map each participant's negative emotion patterns, then apply different types of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to find the best frequency for disrupting those patterns. The goal is to see if the optimal stimulation can improve symptoms like rumination over two 3-day sessions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a personalized brain stimulation treatment that reduces rumination and negative emotions in people with depression or anxiety.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 40 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The optimal stimulation frequency may not work better than the least optimal one.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
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: 1. 18-65 years old 2. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 score) = or \> than 10 3. Comprehension of instructions in the English language. 4. Capacity to provide informed consent and follow study procedures. 5. Availability for the duration of the study. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder (as PI discretion), schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder 2. Recent use of psychoactive medications or substances as determined by investigators 3. History of neurological disorder or traumatic brain injury (other than mild) 4. Unable to have an MRI scan, or current or prior medical condition that could interfere with the collection or interpretation of MRI data 5. Unable to receive or tolerate TMS 6. Implanted devices, such as an aneurysm clip or cardiac pacemaker 7. History of stroke, epilepsy, or brain scarring 8. Pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant (self-attestation alone) During this study, participants are asked to: 1. Refrain from substance use (including marijuana and illicit drugs) for duration of the study (self-attestation alone). 2. Abstain from alcohol for 24 hours before the MRI scans (self-attestation alone). 3. Abstain from increasing caffeine intake or begin taking any new medications (self-attestation alone).
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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 Pennsylvania
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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