Study of Brain and Thinking Changes After Two Weeks of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation iTBS Treatment for Moderate Depression

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the brain and cognitive effects of intermittent theta burst stimulation iTBS in adults with moderate depression. This study compares a two-week daily treatment of neuronavigated iTBS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with a sham treatment. The goal is to understand how changes in brain activity relate to cognitive performance and the antidepressant effects of iTBS. Participants will receive either active iTBS or sham stimulation once a day for 10 consecutive workdays, excluding weekends. The iTBS treatment involves delivering bursts of magnetic pulses using a specialized device with a fluid-cooled figure-of-eight coil. Sham stimulation uses a similar device but without active pulses. The study is randomized, double-blind, and controlled by sham treatment. Participants will undergo three assessments before treatment, immediately after the two-week treatment period, and four weeks later. Researchers will use magnetic resonance imaging MRI to measure changes in white matter integrity, cortical thickness, and cerebral activity. Cognitive performance will be tested using an N-back task. These measurements will help link brain changes with treatment effects over about 15 days of therapy.

The Cerebral and Cognitive Changes After Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) Treatment for Depression