Rapid brain stimulation patterns to boost mood in adults with major depressive disorder

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Researchers will compare intermittent, continuous, and sham theta burst stimulation targeted to brain networks involved in mood. Participants undergo MRI while receiving either a fast-acting or conventional antidepressant, to observe changes in brain activity and connectivity. A subset will complete a reward-learning task to explore how value-based decisions relate to brain responses. The study uses a 2x3 design with 200 adults aged 18-55, aiming to map how stimulation type and target networks influence the salience and default mode networks and their interaction with mood. Primary outcomes focus on neural activation and functional connectivity, with secondary mood measures gathered throughout.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion criteria:

1. Adults ages 18-55 (\~60% female).
2. Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with or without comorbid anxiety disorders (e.g., panic disorder) or Axis II disorders.
3. Psychotropic-free at enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. being pregnant or breastfeeding;
2. diagnosis of psychotic depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other Axis I disorders, except for anxiety disorders;
3. severe substance use (excluding nicotine) in the last 2 months as determined by using the MINI, a structured interview that uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders;
4. requiring immediate hospitalization;
5. epilepsy or conditions requiring an anticonvulsant;
6. receiving vagus nerve stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or TMS in the last 2 months;
7. currently taking or have taken within the last 21 days psychiatric medication or augmenting agents;
8. receiving depression-specific psychotherapy;
9. actively suicidal or considered a high suicide risk;
10. enrolled in another study; or
11. MRI/TMS contraindication as determined by the fMRI and TMS screening questionnaires

Where it's running

• Bellefield Towers
  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Marta Pecina, MD, PhD — University of Pittsburgh
• Study coordinator: Eli Strohecker, BS
• Email: stroheckereg@upmc.edu
• Phone: 412-246-6972

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.