Could a magnet lift mood in Parkinson's? new trial aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07569133
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive magnetic brain stimulation technique, called rTMS, can help ease depression in people with Parkinson's disease. Fifty adults with mild to moderate depression will be randomly assigned to receive either real rTMS or a sham (fake) treatment for five days. Researchers will measure changes in mood and also use digital tools like facial expression analysis to track results.
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)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug option to improve mood in people with Parkinson's disease.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early exploratory study with only 50 participants. The sham control uses a tilted coil, which may not be a perfect placebo. Results may not apply to all patients.
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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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Oct 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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40 to 90 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: * Willing and able to provide written informed consent * Male or female aged 40 to 90 years * Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease with depressive symptoms * Hoehn and Yahr stage 1 to 3 * On stable Parkinson's disease medication for at least 3 months prior to screening, with no planned dose increase during the study period * BDI-II score ≥ 14 (mild depression) or ≥ 20 (moderate depression) * Able to read and write Korean and capable of independently completing questionnaires Exclusion Criteria: * History of epilepsy * Parkinson's disease caused by cerebrovascular disease, CNS infection, intoxication, or traumatic brain injury * Diagnosed with Parkinson-plus syndromes (multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies etc.) * Clinically significant abnormal laboratory values (AST, ALT, or total bilirubin \> 2.5 x ULN) * Diagnosed with psychiatric disorders * Unable to follow instructions or communicate * Pregnant, breastfeeding, or women of childbearing potential * Febrile patients * Patients with artificial hip joint implants * Presence of conductive, ferromagnetic, or magnetically sensitive metal near the head or treatment coil (e.g., cochlear implants, implanted electrodes/stimulators, aneurysm clips or coils) * Cardiac disease, especially patients with pacemakers * Corrected or uncorrected visual acuity less than 0.5 * Use of drug infusion pumps or hearing aids * Patients with acute illness * Patients taking tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptics, or other medications that may lower seizure threshold * History of increased intracranial pressure or head trauma * Evidence of external wounds on brain or neck * Prominent psychotic symptoms other than depression (high NPI scores for hallucinations, delusions, mania) * History of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse * Suicidal ideation (BDI-II item 9 score of 2 or 3) * History of or planned deep brain stimulation or stereotactic surgery (pallidotomy, thalamotomy) * Any participant deemed ineligible by the investigator, including those with medical conditions that may increase risk or interfere with study evaluation * Currently enrolled in another clinical trial or used investigational drug/device within 30 days or 5 half-lives prior to consent
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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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital
Daegu, Buk-gu, 41404, South Korea
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a phone app that blocks distracting apps ease depression?
- Walking memory tests may reveal early Parkinson's clues
- Can teachers and a phone app ease teen depression?
- Can imagining exercise boost brain power after spinal cord injury?
- Can a group program teach teens to cope before therapy starts?