Purpose

This study evaluates an accelerated schedule of theta-burst stimulation using a transcranial magnetic stimulation device for treatment-resistant depression. In a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled fashion, half the participants will receive accelerated theta-burst stimulation while half will receive sham treatment.

Condition

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 22 Years and 65 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Male or Female, between the ages of 22 and 65 at the time of screening. 2. Able to read, understand, and provide written, dated informed consent prior to screening. Proficiency in English sufficient to complete questionnaires / follow instructions during fMRI assessments. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures, including availability for the duration of the study, and to communicate with study personnel about adverse events and other clinically important information. 3. Currently diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and meets criteria for a Major Depressive Episode, according to the criteria defined in the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5). 4. Medical records confirming a history of moderate to severe treatment-resistance as defined by a score of 7-14 on the Maudsley Staging Method (MSM 3). 5. MADRS score of ≥20 at screening (Visit 1). 6. TMS naive. 7. Access to ongoing psychiatric care before and after completion of the study. 8. Access to clinical rTMS after study completion. 9. Must be on a stable antidepressant therapeutic regimen for 6 weeks prior to study enrollment and agree to continue this regimen throughout the study period. 10. In good general health, as evidenced by medical history. 11. For females of reproductive potential: use of highly effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation. 12. Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle Considerations throughout study duration. Lifestyle Considerations: - Abstain from becoming pregnant from the screening visit (Visit 1) until after the final study visit (Visit 13). - Continue usual intake patterns of caffeine- or xanthine-containing products (e.g., coffee, tea, cola drinks, and chocolate) without significant change for the duration of the study. - Abstain from alcohol for at least 24 hours before the start of each MRI and TMS session. - Participants who use tobacco products will be informed that use will be allowed only in between intervention sessions.

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Pregnancy 2. Primary psychiatric condition other than MDD requiring treatment except stable comorbid anxiety disorder 3. History of or current psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder 4. Severe borderline personality disorder. 5. Diagnosis of Intellectual Disability or Autism Spectrum Disorder 6. Current moderate or severe substance use disorder or demonstrating signs of acute substance withdrawal 7. Urine screening test positive for illicit substances 8. Active suicidal ideation (defined as an MSSI > 8) or a suicide attempt (as defined by the C-SSRS) within the past one year 9. Any history of ECT (greater than 8 sessions) without meeting responder criteria 10. Recent (within 4 weeks of any clinical effect) or concurrent use of rapid acting antidepressant agent (i.e., ketamine or a course of ECT) 11. History of significant neurologic disease, including dementia, Parkinson's or Huntington's disease, brain tumor, seizure disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, or history of significant head trauma 12. Untreated or insufficiently treated endocrine disorder. 13. Contraindication to receiving rTMS (e.g., metal in head, history of seizure, known brain lesion) 14. Contraindication to MRI (ferromagnetic metal in their body) 15. Treatment with an investigational drug or other intervention within the study period 16. Depth-adjusted aiTBS treatment dose > 65% maximum stimulator output (MSO) 17. Unstable symptoms between screening and baseline as defined by a ≥ 30% change in MADRS score. 18. Any other condition deemed by the PD to interfere with the study or increase risk to the participant

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Active Comparator
Active TBS-DLPFC
The active group will receive theta-burst TMS stimulation.
  • Device: Active TBS-DLPFC
    Participants in the active stimulation group will receive intermittent TBS to left DLPFC. The L-DLPFC will be targeted utilizing the Soterix Neural Navigator neuronavigation system. Stimulation intensity will be standardized at 90% of RMT and adjusted to the skull to cortical surface distance (see Nahas 2004). Stimulation will be delivered to the L-DLPFC using a MagPro TMS system (MagVenture, Denmark).
Sham Comparator
Sham TBS-DLPFC
The sham group will receive sham theta-burst TMS stimulation.
  • Device: Sham TBS-DLPFC
    The parameters in the sham arm will be as above with the internal randomization of the device internally switching to sham in a blinded fashion.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Stanford University

Study Contact

Nick Bassano, MSW
650-736-2233
nbassano@stanford.edu

Detailed Description

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an established therapy for treatment-resistant depression. The approved method for treatment is 10Hz stimulation for 40 min over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC). This methodology has been effective in real world situations. The limitations of this approach include the duration of the treatment (approximately 40 minutes per treatment session, 5 days per week, for 4-8 weeks). Recently, we have pursued modifying the treatment parameters to reduce treatment times with an accelerated treatment paradigm with great preliminary success. This study aims to further study our accelerated protocol and examine changes in neuroimaging biomarkers.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.