Brain zaps could predict who gets relief from stubborn depression
NCT ID NCT07207239
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a type of brain stimulation called theta-burst rTMS in 54 adults with depression that hasn't responded to other treatments. The goal is to see if it eases depression and thinking problems, and to use brain scans to predict who will benefit. Participants receive daily 9.5-minute sessions for four weeks.
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 a theta-burst protocol
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug treatment option for people with depression that hasn't improved with standard therapies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 54 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment may not work for all, and side effects like headache or discomfort are possible.
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 54 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
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 years and older
- 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: 1. diagnosis of depression 2. 18 years of age 3. Beck depression inventory score above 12 (screening) 4. MADRS score above 6 (baseline) Exclusion Criteria: 1. serious cognitive impairment 2. mental retardation 3. history of head injury with loss of consciousness for more than 1 hour 4. alcohol or drug abuse within the past 3 months
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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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Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Budapest, Pest County, 1083, Hungary
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