Brain zap test may forecast depression return
NCT ID NCT05579015
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a brain stimulation technique, called theta-burst stimulation, can help predict if depression will come back in people who are currently in remission. Researchers will measure brain activity changes during stimulation using a special imaging cap. The goal is to find a way to identify who is at risk of relapse, so they can get help sooner.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) using a device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a way to predict who will have a depression relapse, allowing for earlier intervention.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study, not a treatment trial. The brain stimulation is used only to measure brain activity, not to treat depression. Results may not lead to a reliable prediction method.
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
-
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 170 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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 60 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.
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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: * a clinical diagnosis of recurrent depressive disorder by an experienced psychiatrist but currently in full remission (ICD 11, 6A71.7) according to results of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), with a score ≤ 4; * at least two previous MDEs within the last 10 years; * no or stable (≥4 weeks) psychopharmacological medication. Exclusion Criteria: * severe internal diseases; * neurological disorders or a history of severe head injuries; * current psychiatric comorbidities, including addiction; * pregnancy; * common fNIRS and TMS exclusion criteria, such as a history of brain surgery, head injury, cardiac pacemaker, deep brain stimulation, intracranial metallic particles, history of seizures, and antiepileptics and benzodiazepines corresponding to a dose of \>1 mg lorazepam/d. Potential participants taking antidepressants will be included if there has been no recent change to either dosage or medication (within 4 weeks).
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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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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong, China
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