Can tailored brain zaps beat standard therapy for depression?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Male or female outpatients or inpatients aged 18 to 55 years, inclusive. * Right-handed. * Diagnosis of major depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), confirmed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Both first and recurrent depressive episodes are eligible. * A 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) total score of at least 14 at both screening and baseline. * At enrollment, participants may be antidepressant-free or may have received an antidepressant at no less than the minimum effective dose for at least 4 weeks. The antidepressant may be combined with no more than two other medications, and the type and dosage of medications must remain unchanged from enrollment until study completion. * At least primary school education and able to understand the study procedures and requirements. * Able to undergo magnetic resonance imaging and intermittent theta burst stimulation safely. * Voluntarily agrees to participate and provides written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Serious or unstable medical or neurological illness. * Pregnancy or breastfeeding. * History of seizure, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or central nervous system tumor. * Contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging, including claustrophobia, an electronic or metallic implant, or a non-removable metallic dental prosthesis. * Receipt of systematic modified electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, or another physical neuromodulation treatment within 3 months before screening. * Excessive head motion during MRI scanning (rotation exceeding 3.0° and/or translation exceeding 3 mm) * Resting motor threshold remaining at or above 70% of the device maximum stimulator output after repeated testing, when the investigator considers continued treatment to present a safety concern.