Imaging- vs. Scalp-Targeted Accelerated TMS for Depression: The Number Needed to Scan Trial
Starting soon · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
In brief
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.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07043738
- Run by
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- People needed
- 160
- Starts
- 2026-08-03
- Expected to finish
- 2032-08-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-07-13
Who can join
Age: 22 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.
You may qualify if…
- 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
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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