Maintenance rTMS for depression: keeping relief after response

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This study will enroll adults who previously responded to an acute course of rTMS for treatment-resistant depression and randomly assign them to three maintenance strategies for six months: standard maintenance rTMS, clustered maintenance rTMS, or sham (placebo) maintenance. Researchers will monitor brain connectivity between a brain region (DLPFC) and a mood-related area (SGC) using TMS-EEG and track depressive symptoms with the MADRS at baseline and every six weeks. The goal is to see which maintenance approach best preserves brain connections and reduces relapse risk. The study is conducted at UC San Diego, Cornell, and Australian National University with a double-blind design in the R61 phase, followed by progression through the next phase if results are promising.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• University of California, San Diego
  La Jolla, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Daskalakis, Zafiris J. — University of California, San Diego
• Study coordinator: Daskalakis, Zafiris J.

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About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.