Brain scans reveal how shock therapies affect depression
NCT ID NCT07533773
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study will use a brain imaging technique called fNIRS to see how electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and magnetic seizure therapy (MST) change brain activity in people with major depression. Researchers will compare the two treatments in 60 adults to understand their effects on mood and thinking. The goal is to learn which therapy works better for different patients.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Electroconvulsive therapy or magnetic seizure therapy
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help doctors choose between ECT and MST based on how each affects brain function and cognition in depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. It measures brain activity, not long-term outcomes.
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 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
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Apr 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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12 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * A depressive episode diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), confirmed by two psychiatrists; * Meets the treatment criteria for ECT or MST; * At least 5 years of education, with no significant hearing or visual impairments; * Voluntary participation in this study, with a signed written informed consent form, and willingness to cooperate with the collection of general demographic information, neuropsychological testing, and fNIRS resting-state and task-based data acquisition. Exclusion Criteria: * Co-occurring mental disorders (such as substance use disorders or schizoaffective disorder); * Severe physical illness; * History of neurological disorders (such as traumatic brain injury or dementia); * Low educational attainment; * Receipt of ECT or MST treatment within the past six months.
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Get notified about this study
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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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The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University
RECRUITINGHefei, Anhui, 230601, China
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- Genetic matchmaking for antidepressants: a global trial puts personalization to the test
- Could a common vitamin lift depression in young people?