Testing repetitive transcranial magnetic for major depression moderate
Official title: rTMS for Youth Inpatients With Depression
Seamless Integration of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Youth Inpatients With Depression: A Feasibility Study
Interventions
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
twice daily rTMS, intermittent theta burst stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with a figure-8 coil
Canadian Sites (1)
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for15 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +age 14-19 years
- +primary diagnosis of major depressive disorder or of bipolar I or II disorder, current episode depressed with no psychotic or mixed features
- +current episode of depression lasting at least 4 weeks
- +failed ≥1 evidence-based psychotherapy or antidepressant
- +have a GRID-HAMD-17 (17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) score of ≥16 (moderate-severe range)
- +currently an inpatient or suitable for an elective inpatient admission
Exclusion
- −obsessive compulsive disorder or personality disorder that is the main source and driver of distress
- −active psychosis and/or mania
- −history of epilepsy or any other neurologic condition that includes a history of seizures
- −use of medications that lower the seizure threshold
- −history of severe headaches within the previous year
- −improvement in depressive symptom severity between screeningScreeningThe checks done before joining, to see whether a study fits.Read more → and baselineBaselineYour starting measurements, taken before treatment begins.Read more → by 25% or more
- −inability to adhere to the protocolProtocolThe detailed plan a study must follow.Read more →
- −pregnancy or nursing
- −lifetime diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa diagnosis of a substance use disorder (except caffeine and tobacco) within the past year
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is looking at how care is delivered and organised, rather than at a treatment itself.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
What is being given or done in this study: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
- armsInterventionsModule.interventions[].name
How the study is run
There is only one group in this study, so there is no assignment to different treatments.
This study is open-labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more →: everyone knows which treatment is being given, including you and the study team.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
There is one group in this study.
From the trial registry
Built from this field:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 14 years to 19 years.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 30 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around December 2027.
The main measurement is taken over: From enrollmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more → to start of rTMS treatment, assessed for 8 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Feasible: 90% of the time, rTMS treatment will be started within 3 business days of a patient consenting during an existing inpatient stay or within 3 business days of the start of an elective inpatient stay — measured over From enrollmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more → to start of rTMS treatment, assessed for 8 weeks.
Feasible: 90% completion of weekly Hamilton Depression Rating Scale during treatment by clinician — measured over From start of rTMS treatment to end of rTMS treatment, assessed for 4 weeks.
Acceptable: 25% or lower drop-out rate from completing treatment — measured over From enrollment to end of rTMS treatment, assessed for 12 weeks.
Accessible: 90% of the time, suitability assessments for this treatment pathway will be completed within 2 business days for exiting inpatients and within 2 weeks for outpatients — measured over From referral to suitability assessment and enrollment, assessed for 2 weeks.
The study lists 1 further main measurements.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT07140575 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)Device
twice daily rTMS, intermittent theta burst stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with a figure-8 coil
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: an age range of 14 years to 19 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study does not list a placeboPlaceboA dummy treatment with no active medicine, used for comparison.Read more → group.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
This study is open-labelOpen-labelEveryone knows which treatment is being given — nothing is hidden.Read more →: everyone knows which treatment is being given, including you and the study team.
There is only one group in this study, so there is no assignment to different treatments.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists an age range of 14 years to 19 years.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: From enrollmentEnrolmentThe number of participants a study plans to include, or has included.Read more → to start of rTMS treatment, assessed for 8 weeks.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2027-12.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 30 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
Youth aged 15-24 are likelier to have depression than all age groups in Canada. One-third of depressed youth do not respond to psychotherapy and/or antidepressant medications. A treatment called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation or rTMS has proven helpful in adolescents and young adults whose depressive symptoms have been difficult to treat with psychotherapy and/or antidepressants. Unfortunately, youth find rTMS difficult to access because it is not funded by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, is typically only offered to adults, and the treatment schedule usually involves once-daily sessions, 5 days/week, for 4-6 weeks, which is associated with travel and opportunity costs e.g. missing school. This project looks at the feasibility of a new treatment pathway that allows youth with difficult-to-treat depression in hospital to receive rTMS twice-daily while engaging in on-unit schooling and therapeutic support. This "accelerated" way of providing rTMS is safe, has equal effectiveness to once-daily rTMS, and can shorten the time needed for treatment. This pathway is for youth already staying in hospital for difficult-to-treat depression or youth outside hospital who have difficult-to-treat depression that interferes with daily function to such a degree that they would benefit from staying in hospital. The investigators anticipate integrating rTMS and inpatient care for youth will be feasible, that it will be acceptable and accessible to youth and families, and there will be sufficient demand for this new treatment pathway. If successful, this project will inform care for youth with difficult-to-treat depression in Ontario and beyond.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.