Brain zaps meet mindfulness: a new hope for Treatment-Resistant depression?
NCT ID NCT06399406
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new approach for people with depression that hasn't responded to medication. It combines an FDA-approved brain stimulation technique called rTMS with digital mindfulness exercises. The goal is to see if this combination can improve both mood and cognitive function better than stimulation alone. The trial involves 70 participants and is currently active but not recruiting.
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) combined with digital mindfulness exercises
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for people with depression that hasn't improved with medication, potentially improving both mood and thinking skills.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase study (70 people) testing a new combination. It may not show clear benefits, and the effects may not last or apply to everyone with depression.
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
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
About 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
May 2024
- Expected to finish
-
Apr 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
-
18 to 65 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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. * At least one failed antidepressant medication trial at level 3 in the Antidepressant Treatment History Form: Short Form (ATHF-SF) classification. * Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) Score \>19 (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. * Exhibiting current suicidal behavior rating on the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) * 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
-
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, California, 92093, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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