Tailored TMS shows promise for Treatment-Resistant depression
NCT ID NCT06003309
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether personalizing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) based on an individual's brain structure and activity could improve outcomes for people with treatment-resistant depression. 75 adults received 20 sessions over 4 weeks, comparing fully personalized TMS, partially personalized TMS, and standard TMS. The main goal was to measure changes in brain connectivity, with depression symptoms also tracked.
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 more effective, personalized TMS treatments for people with depression that hasn't responded to standard therapy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on brain activity changes, not yet proven to improve symptoms. The personalized approach may not work better than standard TMS.
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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75 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2023
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- 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 80 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.
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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 episode (MDE, in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition (DSM-5), in the context of unipolar major depressive disorder disorder. * 18-80 years of age. * Male or female. * At least one failed antidepressant medication trial at level 3 in the Antidepressant Treatment History Form: Short Form (ATHF-SF) classification. * Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Score of ≥ 20 (moderate-severe depression). * No increase or initiation of new antidepressant therapy in the four weeks prior to screening. * Demonstrated capacity to give informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide informed consent. * Medically unstable patients. * Concomitant neurological disorder or a history of a seizure disorder. * Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding. * Any psychotic disorder or current active psychotic symptoms. * Patients who have intracranial implants, other medical device or condition deemed unsafe for TMS. * Contraindication to MRI scanning.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Australian National University
Canberra, 2601, Australia
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University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California, 92093, United States
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