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Magnetic brain zaps could lift depression in seniors without pills

NCT ID NCT04842929

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a gentle magnetic brain stimulation technique, called rTMS with theta-burst stimulation, can help treat depression in people over 60. Over 100 participants received either real or sham stimulation daily for about 4 weeks. The goal was to see if this non-drug approach could safely reduce depressive symptoms without the side effects of medication.

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) using theta-burst stimulation (TBS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free option to ease depression in older adults, avoiding side effects and drug interactions.
What could go wrong
This is a completed early-stage trial with only 108 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The sham control means the real benefit might be small.

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

108 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jan 2019

Finished

Mar 2023

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

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

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

Inclusion Criteria: * Major Depressive Disorder; * Patients older than 60 years * Hamilton equal or higher than 17 Exclusion Criteria: * Other mental disorders (alcohol or drug addiction, psychotic disorders, dementia, bipolar disorder); * Presence of serious neurological or clinical diseases; * Resence of severe suicidal ideation and CIRS (Cumulative Illness Rating Scale) score\> 7, characterizing a set of clinical morbidities that could impair adherence to the research protocol, bipolar disorder and/or presence of manic symptoms (hypo) demonstrated with more than 8 points in the Young Mania Rating Scale. * Metal implants; * Epilepsy or electronics in the cephalic segment;

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Major depressive disorder

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Sao Paulo

    São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.