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Can magnetic brain stimulation lift mood and sharpen memory in seniors?

NCT ID NCT03665831

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) in 28 adults over 60 who have Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment along with depression that hasn't improved with medication. Participants receive daily dTMS sessions for 4 weeks using a special coil designed to reach deeper brain areas. The goal is to see if this treatment can safely reduce depression and possibly help with cognitive symptoms.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) using the Brainsway H1-Coil device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a non-drug option to improve mood and thinking in older adults with Alzheimer's or mild cognitive impairment who haven't benefited from antidepressants.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 28 participants, so results may not apply widely. The treatment requires daily sessions for 4 weeks, and it's unclear if benefits will last.

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

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

About 28 people

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

Started

Oct 2018

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

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

60 years and older

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: * meet DSM 5 criteria for Major or Mild Neurocognitive Disorder due to Alzheimer's disease with Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) score of at least 0.5 * have been diagnosed with DSM5 Major Depressive Disorder, with the current episode longer than 4 weeks but less than 5 years * did not respond to or did not tolerate antidepressant treatment * are willing to provide informed consent * are able to follow the treatment schedule * are stable on medications for 2 months and are not expected to change medication during the entire study period (if they are taking medications) * have a satisfactory safety screening questionnaire for TMS * have an informant/study partner who is able to complete study questionnaires regarding the participant Exclusion Criteria: * have a metal plate in their head, except in the mouth (such as an ear implant, implanted brain stimulators, aneurysm clips) * have known increased pressure or a history of increased pressure in their brain, which may increase their risk for having seizures * have a cardiac pacemaker * have an implanted medication pump * have a central venous line * have a significant heart disease or history of stroke * Modified Hachinski Score (MHIS) \> 3 (to exclude those with significant vascular component to memory loss) * have a history of any psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, eating disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or dementia other than AD * have a history of substance abuse in the last 6 months * have a history of stroke or other brain lesions * have a personal history of epilepsy * have a family history of epilepsy * are a pregnant or breast-feeding woman * are taking psychotropic medications including antidepressant medications, antipsychotics or mood stabilizing medications due to increased risk of seizure * are taking memantine * have a history of abnormal MRI of the brain * have significant hearing loss requiring use of hearing aids * have untreated hypo- or hyper-thyroidism

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease Cognitive Dysfunction Depression major depressive disorder

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.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. 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

  • Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest

    RECRUITING

    Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada

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