Measuring Brain Responsiveness to Magnetic Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder
Tests magnetic brain stimulation to measure brain responsiveness in adults with major depressive disorder.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Optimizing Brain Excitability in Depression
Key facts
- Where
- Iowa City and Stanford, United StatesSee the 2 sites
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Source: NCT07242105, who can take part
Where in United States
- University of IowaIowa City, United StatesTaking people
- Stanford UniversityStanford, United StatesTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Stanford University
- Trial code
- NCT07242105
- Record updated
- 10 February 2026
- Original description
The goal of this study is to improve depression treatment by establishing reliable prefrontal excitability markers through Targeting with Automated Real-time Guidance for Enhancing TEPs (TARGET).Read full original descriptionShow less
Optimized Methods for Measuring Brain Excitability in Depression
The goal of this study is to improve depression treatment by establishing reliable prefrontal excitability markers through Targeting with Automated Real-time Guidance for Enhancing TEPs (TARGET).
Inclusion: Men and women, ages 18 to 65; Diagnosis of major depressive disorder, assessed through a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5); In a current depressive episode, assessed through a Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) (SCID-5); Moderate-to-severe depression as indicated by a score between 11-20 on the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms (QIDS); Must comprehend English well to ensure adequate comprehension of the EEG and TMS instructions, and of clinical scales; No current or history of neurological disorders; No seizure disorder or risk of seizures; Neurosurgical patients: Men and women ages 18-65 with medication-refractory epilepsy who are admitted for phase II intracranial monitoring to detect a seizure focus will be considered appropriate for this study. Participants must have the intellectual capacity to understand the consent process and agree to the study.
Exclusion: A prior history of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) failure; History of head trauma with loss of consciousness; History of seizures or on medications that reduce seizure threshold (e.g., olanzapine, chlorpromazine, lithium); Neurological or uncontrolled medical disease; Any unstable medical condition; Diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorder; History of suicide attempt in the past year; Those with a contraindication for MRIs (e.g. implanted metal); Active substance abuse; Currently pregnant or breastfeeding; Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) treatment in the past six months.