Can tailoring ECT strength boost mood and spare memory?
NCT ID NCT05699226
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adjusting the electrical amplitude of ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) to each person can better treat depression and reduce memory problems. Researchers will compare a personalized amplitude approach to the standard fixed 800 mA setting in 50 older adults with depression. Participants will have their depression severity and cognitive function measured before and after treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Soterix Medical Incorporated 4x1 adapter (device) and traditional ECT device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a more personalized ECT approach that reduces memory side effects while still treating depression effectively.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early-stage study with only 50 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The individualized amplitude approach may not show clear benefits over standard ECT.
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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Sep 2023
- 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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50 years and older
- 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of major depressive disorder or bipolar II * Clinical indications for ECT with right unilateral electrode placement Exclusion Criteria: * Defined neurological or neurodegenerative disorder (e.g., traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease) * Other psychiatric conditions (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder) * Current drug or alcohol use disorder (except for nicotine) * Contraindications to MRI.
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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 New Mexico Health Science Center
RECRUITINGAlbuquerque, New Mexico, 87110, United States
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