How brain and symptom networks change with TMS for depressive syndrome
Official title: Dynamic Network Changes During Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy in Depression
Run by Goethe University · NCT07422844 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see if brain and symptom network measures and TMS stimulation sites can predict which people with depressive syndrome respond to TMS treatment.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Goethe University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Frankfurt am Main, Hesse) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 24, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2031 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2031 |
| Registry record updated | February 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07422844 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults aged 18–70 with a depressive syndrome who are already scheduled to receive TMS, who participated in the DYNAMIC central MRI project, speak German, and have an internet-enabled device for app questionnaires.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients younger than 18 or older than 70, those with acute or chronic neurological disease, pregnant individuals, or people who did not take part in the DYNAMIC central project may not receive benefit from participating.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational project follows people with depressive syndrome who receive TMS as part of routine clinical care and already participated in the DYNAMIC central MRI project. Participants provide MRI-derived brain-network data and complete app-based questionnaires before, during, and after their TMS course. Researchers will map changes in symptom networks alongside brain-network measures and stimulation site data to identify patterns linked to clinical response. The team will also explore the timing of symptom changes to see which symptoms improve first during treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians predict who will benefit from TMS and inform better targeting of stimulation to improve outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has produced promising but mixed evidence that brain-network measures can predict TMS outcomes, so this approach builds on emerging and still exploratory work.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients who are treated with TMS as an antidepressant will be recruited for study participation. The TMS treatment is carried out regardless of study participation. * Men and women will be included in a balanced ratio. * German language skills are required to ensure that questionnaires, interviews, and instructions are correctly understood, processed and answered. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients younger than 18 or older than 70 will be excluded * Participants who did not participate in the DYNAMIC central project (German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00038256) will be excluded. * Further exclusion criteria for participation are acute or chronic neurological diseases. * Patients who are pregnant will not be included in the study. * As we use app-based questionnaires, we cannot include participants without internet-enabled devices in the study.
Where it's running
-
Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie
Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jonathan Repple, Prof. Dr. med.
- Email: repple@uni-frankfurt.de
- Phone: +4917641633481
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.