Brain scans could guide depression treatment in new stanford trial
NCT ID NCT07022405
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Stanford University is studying whether the drug pramipexole can help people with depression, and if its effects depend on specific brain circuits. Sixty adults with recent depressive symptoms will take pramipexole for 8 weeks, then taper off over 2 weeks. The study uses brain imaging and questionnaires to see how the drug affects mood, behavior, and thinking.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- pramipexole immediate release
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a more personalized way to treat depression by matching medications to a person's specific brain circuit activity.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small Phase 2 study (60 people) without a placebo group, so results may not apply broadly. Pramipexole can cause side effects like nausea, dizziness, and impulse control issues.
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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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- 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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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2030
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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18 to 65 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.
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: * 18-65 years old (inclusive) * Fluent and literate in English, with non-impaired intellectual abilities to ensure adequate comprehension of the task instructions. * Willing to provide written, informed consent. * Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning eligibility. All participants will need to successfully complete the screening forms at the Stanford Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging (CNI). * Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8) \>/= 10 * Meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for current or recurrent nonpsychotic Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) established by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) Exclusion Criteria: * Suicidality with active plan or as determined clinician judgment * Current or lifetime history of medical illness or brain injury that may interfere with assessments as determined by clinician judgment * Severe impediment to vision, hearing, and/or hand movement likely to interfere with ability to complete the assessments, or is unable and/or unlikely to follow the study protocols as determined by clinician judgment * Pregnant, breastfeeding or unwilling or unable to use adequate birth control throughout the study * History of non-responsive depression to dopamine agonists * Any contraindication to being scanned in the 3.0T fMRI scanner, such as a cardiac pacemaker or implanted device that has not been cleared for scanning * Previous or current DSM-5 bipolar disorder (I, II, not otherwise specified), schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders, or psychosis or as determined by clinician judgment * Previous or current diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) * Meeting DSM-5 criteria for current Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or eating disorder * Meeting DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder within the last 12 months * Clinically significant presence/history of impulsive-compulsive behaviors or control disorder including but not limited to gambling disorder within the last 12 months. * Current use or use of psychotropic medication within the past month. (If the participant's usual treating clinician agrees with discontinuing the medication, participants may enroll after tapering off the medication under the supervision of either their usual clinician or the study clinician. A washout period of 5 half-lives-or a different duration as determined by the study clinician-must be completed before the first scan.) * Concurrent participation in other intervention or treatment studies
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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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Stanford University
RECRUITINGPalo Alto, California, 94305, United States
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