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Virtual Reality Combined With rTMS for the Treatment of Depression : a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Virtual Reality Combined With rTMS for the Treatment of Depression : a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03336788
Acronym
TMS VR
Enrollment
66
Registered
2017-11-08
Start date
2016-11-09
Completion date
2019-11-09
Last updated
2017-11-09

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

the Treatment of Depression

Brief summary

Depression is a mood disorder affecting an individual in its entirety, altering its emotional and intellectual functioning . The major form of depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in Western countries. It is considered to be the most expensive psychiatric neurological disease in Europe and is currently treated by different methods. However, almost a third of depressed patients shows no clinical improvement. Advances in neuroscience and understanding of neuromodulation have enabled the emergence of new treatments such as the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) . It consists of modulating the neuronal activity of a targeted brain region through a magnetic field applied by a coil. Even though this form of treatment has proven to be effective, it appears that more than half of depressed patients exhibited little to no response to it. As brain regions targeted by TMS may also be stimulated beforehand by sensory afferent signals, it was hypothesized that optimizing the effects of TMS with virtual reality is possible through the activation of these brain regions with sensory stimuli holding emotional valence (images, sounds) while using TMS concomitantly. Based on this new research premise, the investigators propose, in the context of an open and controlled clinical trial, to use a new media entitled virtual reality for displaying interactive virtual environments with positive emotional valence ( field of flowers, green valley) to a group of depressed patients undergoing TMS at the same time. The study will include 66 depressed patients randomly assigned into two groups : TMS and Virtual Reality Versus TMS alone. Any differences in therapeutic efficacy between the two groups will be measured by questionnaires and brain functional imagery. This innovative and therapeutic approach will allow us to better understand the appropriate processes for modulating the neuronal activity in specific brain areas for treatment purposes.

Interventions

DEVICETranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS - ) MagPro®

20 sessions navigated with Conventional Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

DEVICEvirtual reality for displaying interactive virtual environments

20 sessions navigated with virtual reality

Sponsors

Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Criteria of resistant depression * Age from 18 to 65 years old included. * Primary diagnosis of major depression in subjects according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria. * Informed consent and signed to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnant woman, parturient and nursing mothers. * Absence of DSM-5 criteria for depression in subjects. * Refusal to participate in the study. * Modification of drug treatment in the month preceding inclusion. * History of neurological pathology, head trauma or mental retardation. * Presence of an addictive comorbidity. * Presence of a major organic pathological. * Presence of a contra-indication to virtual reality * Presence of intracerebral ferro-metallic material, cochlear implant, pacemaker

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Evaluation of the depression score in Montgomery-asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).36 monthsa heteroevaluation scale of depressive semiology in 10 items. A decrease of at least 50% in initial score at the Montgomery-asberg Depression Rating Scale.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Evaluation of The State Trait Anxiety Inventory Self-Questionnaire36 months40 items with, for each, 4 modalities of response, corresponding to degrees of intensity or frequency of the habitual or general emotional state of the patient. The calculated score varies between 20 and 80, a high score indicating the presence of anxiety. Anxiety will be assessed before the program begins and at the end of the program.

Countries

France

Contacts

Primary ContactRaphaëlle RICHIERI, PH
raphaellemarie.richieri@ap-hm.fr491435551

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026