What is this study trying to find out about depression?

This study is investigating how brain stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) affects brain activity and emotional symptoms like depression. It compares effects in both healthy adults and individuals with high negative affect to better understand brain mechanisms. The research may help inform future personalized brain stimulation therapies.

Who may be eligible for this depression clinical trial?

Adults aged 18 to 65 who can understand and consent to the study may be eligible. It includes people diagnosed with major depressive disorder or healthy controls without psychiatric history. Participants must speak English and not have certain medical conditions like epilepsy or implanted metal devices. Please review eligibility criteria for more details.

Is there any cost to participate in this depression clinical trial?

Study-related care, including the study procedures and all trial visits, is provided at no cost. Personal travel expenses may vary and are not guaranteed to be covered. Participants should plan accordingly for any travel or accommodation costs.

Actively Recruiting

Phase Not Applicable

Age: 18Years - 65Years

All Genders

Healthy Volunteers

ID06633913

Study of Brain Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Using fMRI in Adults With Depression or Healthy Controls

Led by Jing Jiang · Updated on 2026-03-12

Participants Needed

Research Sites

48 weeks

Total Duration

AI-Summary

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how transcranial magnetic stimulation TMS affects the brain by using functional magnetic resonance imaging fMRI at the same time. This study involves both healthy adults and patients showing high negative affect symptoms like depression. It aims to understand whether the short-term effects of single-pulse TMS relate to the longer-term effects of repetitive TMS rTMS and how these effects might predict symptoms of depression. Participants will take part in two visits, each about two hours long. During the first visit, they will complete tests measuring cognitive abilities and emotional states, followed by brain scans including resting-state fMRI, structural MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging to identify the best brain areas for stimulation. In the second visit, participants will undergo three parts of TMS combined with fMRI single-pulse TMS to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex DLPFC and control area, theta-burst stimulation TBS to the DLPFC, and then single-pulse TMS again after TBS to observe changes in brain response. Throughout the study, participants cognitive and emotional test results, along with brain connectivity data, will be analyzed to understand the relationship with TMS effects. Researchers will measure the differences in brain responses before and after TBS within about 10 minutes and also compare these effects between healthy controls and patients. The total participation involves two visits scheduled within one week, each with assessments, brain scans, and TMS procedures to track neural changes associated with brain stimulation.

CONDITIONS

Brief Title

Concurrent TMS-fMRI

How This Trial Compares With Other Options

This table compares participation in this trial with other options available for this condition. The information is drawn from published research and the trial’s study details and is provided for educational purposes only.

Factors	Investigational spTMS‑TBS‑spTMS	Standard high‑frequency rTMS
What it is	A novel combined protocol using single‑pulse TMS (spTMS) with theta‑burst stimulation (TBS) during fMRI to compare neural responses before and after TBS in individuals with and without major depression	Conventional high‑frequency (10 Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeting left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex used in treatment‑resistant depression
Role in trial	Investigational method applied to all enrolled participants both with depression and healthy controls	Not included in the trial; serves as external neuromodulation benchmark
Primary use	To explore whether TBS alters TMS‑evoked brain responses detectable via fMRI, comparing before‑vs‑after paradigms in depressed and healthy individuals	Neuromodulation treatment applied to treatment‑resistant depression patients when medications fail
How it is given or performed	Combination of theta‑burst stimulation and single‑pulse TMS delivered during fMRI sessions before and after TBS	Daily sessions of high‑frequency (10 Hz) rTMS applied to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex over several weeks
Evidence status	Proof‑of‑concept study currently investigating neural response changes; clinical efficacy in depression not established	Established non‑inferiority of intermittent theta‑burst stimulation relative to conventional high‑frequency rTMS with comparable antidepressant effects and much shorter sessions
Important risks	Safety profile unknown; risks related to TMS and MRI environment apply	Generally well tolerated; headache and scalp discomfort are the most common side effects, similar between TBS and high‑frequency protocols
Important limitations	No clinical outcome data; applied during fMRI in a research setting with both healthy and depressed adult groups, limiting immediate clinical relevance	Requires multiple weeks of daily treatment sessions; longer administration time compared to theta‑burst protocols

Disclaimer: This comparison is created with the help of artificial intelligence(AI) and may contain errors or missing information. It is not medical advice and does not mean one option is better or safer than another. Clinical trials are still being studied, and joining a trial is your choice. Please consult your healthcare professional before making any decisions.

Who Can Participate

Age: 18Years - 65Years

All Genders

Healthy Volunteers

Eligibility Criteria

You may qualify if you...

Adults aged 18 to 65 years
Able to understand and consent for research participation
English-speaking
For patients: diagnosis of major depressive disorder
For healthy controls: no lifetime psychiatric diagnosis or treatment
For healthy controls: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) scores lower than 4

You will not qualify if you...

Under 18 or over 65 years of age
History of epilepsy or seizure disorder
Implanted ferromagnetic equipment near the stimulation target
Implanted device not compatible with MRI (e.g., pacemaker, stent, defibrillator, neurostimulation device)
Metal in the body such as bullets, shrapnel, or slivers
Claustrophobia
Uncontrolled high blood pressure or blood circulation problems
Use of medications interfering with blood flow or fMRI recordings
Significant heart disease such as atrial fibrillation
Pregnancy in female participants
Prior exposure to deep brain stimulation, rTMS, or tDCS therapies
History of neurological or cardiovascular disorders, brain surgery, radiation, brain hemorrhage or tumor, stroke, or diabetes
Significant traumatic brain injury
Refusal to abstain from illicit drug use during the study
Refusal to abstain from alcohol within 24 hours of scans

Your Study Journey

Screening

Duration - 2 to 4 weeks

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.

1 visit (in-person)

Diagnostic Evaluation

Duration - 1 day

Participants complete cognitive and emotional tests and undergo brain scans to assess brain connectivity and determine stimulation sites for TMS-fMRI.

1 visit (approximately 2 hours, in-person)

Implementation

Duration - 1 day within 1 week of the first visit

Participants undergo TMS-fMRI scanning involving single-pulse TMS, theta-burst stimulation (TBS), and post-TBS single-pulse TMS to measure brain responses and modulation effects.

1 visit (approximately 2 hours, in-person)