Brain scans may reveal who benefits from depression therapy
NCT ID NCT04581902
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study aims to find brain-based markers that can predict how well people with major depression respond to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) therapy. Researchers will use MRI and EEG to track brain changes in 50 adults with moderate to severe depression who have not responded well to medication. The goal is to improve diagnosis and personalize treatment for depression.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors predict which patients will benefit from TMS therapy for depression, making treatment more personalized.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on finding biomarkers, not testing a new treatment. The results may not apply to all patients or lead to immediate changes in care.
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 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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 70 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: * Age 18-70 * Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V (DSM-V) diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder in a current major depressive episode, without psychotic features. * Has Montgomery-Asberg Depressive Rating Scale (MADRS) of \> 19 at baseline, corresponding with moderate to severe depression. * Demonstrate a moderate level of resistance to antidepressant treatment in the current episode, defined as a failure of 1-4 adequate medication trials. * If participant is on a regimen of psychotropic medication, no changes in this regimen should be made during the period between the time at which pre-treatment and post-treatment scans are taken. * Willing and able to undergo non-invasive brain stimulation * Willing and able to attend research visits for approximately 8 weeks * Willing and able to provide informed consent * Ability to speak and read English Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosed with acute or chronic psychotic symptoms of disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, schizophreniform, schizoaffective disorder) in the current depressive episode. * Has neurological conditions including epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, increased intracranial pressure, having a history of repetitive or severe head trauma, or with primary or secondary tumors in the central nervous system. * Presence of an implanted magnetic-sensitive medical device in or near the head, including but not limited to pacemaker, vagus nerve stimulator, or metal aneurysm clips or coils, staples, or stents. * Generalized anxiety disorder as the primary DSM-V disorder during the current MDD episode. * Meets criteria for alcohol or substance abuse or dependence (other than caffeine) in previous 6 months, as determined by the SCID * History of seizures * Implantable hardware not compatible with MRI or with the study * Inability to comply with study daily visits * Women who are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or breast feeding * Inability to speak and/or read English * Inability to give consent * Any active suicidal intent or plan during the current depressive episode, as determined by a score of 3 on Question #9 of Beck's Depression Inventory (scores reviewed daily by study team members versed in scoring clinical scales), or as by a subjective determination by a study clinician during any study visit.
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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 California, San Francisco
RECRUITINGSan Francisco, California, 94143, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Brain scans could make TMS for depression more precise
- Can brain training help depressed young adults stop ruminating?