NCT07043738Not yet recruiting
Imaging- vs. Scalp-Targeted Accelerated TMS for Depression: The Number Needed to Scan Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 18 Sept 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS) is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that is cleared by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for depression. Conventional TMS involves daily weekday treatments for 6-8 weeks. These treatments are targeted using each person's scalp measurements. With conventional TMS, approximately 50-55% of people show a 50% or more improvement in depressive symptoms (in other words, they "respond" to treatment). Studies are trying to make TMS work better and faster. A new form of TMS called accelerated TMS (aTMS) involves mutliple treatments a day. One specific aTMS protocol involves 10 treatments per day for 5 days. These treatments are targeted using each person's brain scan (magentic resonance imaging, MRI). With this specific aTMS protocol, approximately 70-90% of people show a 50% or more imporvement in depressive symptoms. While these results are exciting, scientists are not sure why this specific aTMS protocol works better than conventional TMS. It could be the dose and schedule of treatment, or it could be the MRI-based targeting. Answering this question is important because MRI-based targeting is expensive and difficult to do in many settings. This study aims to determine if MRI-based targeting is better than scalp-based targeting for aTMS for depression. In this study, everyone who enrolls and meets criteria will be randomly assigned to MRI- versus scalp-based aTMS targeting.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 160 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 26 Jun 2025
- Start date
- 1 Oct 2026
- Primary completion date
- 1 Oct 2031
- Lead sponsor
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Diseases
- Depression
- NCT number
- NCT07043738
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 160
- From 1 Oct 2026 to the primary completion date, 1 Oct 2031
- No sites listed in no country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Who the study is looking for
- Age 22-80
- English proficiency sufficient for informed consent, questionnaires/tasks, and treatment
- Primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder per DSM-V criteria (Quick Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5)
- \>20 on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
- \>20 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
- Moderate to severe level of treatment resistance (Maudsley Staging Method)
- Stable antidepressant medication regimen, or remain medication free, for 4 weeks prior to treatment and to remain on this regimen throughout the study until the 1-month post-treatment visit.
- Primary clinician (e.g. psychiatrist, therapist, psychologist, APRN, PA, etc.) responsible for psychiatric care before, during, and after the trial
- Agreement to lifestyle considerations
- Abstain from becoming pregnant from screening to one-month after treatment (the MRI visit)
- Continue usual intake patterns of caffeine- or xanthine-containing products (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) throughout treatment
- Abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs for at least 24 hours before the start of each MRI and TMS session
Age in the registry: 22 years to 80 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.