Mechanism of Action of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT04278521

Enrollment

Registered

2020-02-20

Start date

2011-11-30

Completion date

2026-06-30

Last updated

2025-12-12

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

Conditions

Depression, Major Depressive Disorder

Keywords

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Brief summary

This is an observational neuroimaging study assessing the effects of TMS on the brains of patients with unipolar depression.

Detailed description

This project aims to use functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) to study patients with unipolar depression receiving TMS. Patients will be scanned before and after a full course of TMS and clinical measures for depression severity and memory will be obtained at the same times.The project has the following aims and hypothesis: (1) to determine the therapeutic antidepressant mechanism of action of TMS at the circuit level (2) to study the use of fcMRI as a state biomarker for depression (3) to study the use of fcMRI as a predictor of response for depression.

Interventions

DEVICETranscranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation uses a rapidly changing magnetic field to induce current in brain tissue non-invasively. It is common procedure in both clinical and research settings, and it has well established guidelines for safe an ethical use which maximize safety for all subjects.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 80 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Males and females between the ages of 18-80 2. DSM-IV diagnosis of Depressive Episode 3. Patients requiring TMS treatment as part of their psychiatric care

Exclusion criteria

1. Comorbid DSM-IV primary diagnoses of schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia or dementia. 2. Substance use disorder (abuse or dependence) with active use within the last 3 months 3. Severe or unstable medical illness. 4. MRI contraindications as determined by MGH department of radiology.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Changes in Functional Connectivity of Key Nodes in Depression	Through Treatment Completion, Average of 6 Weeks	Measured by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

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