Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet substantial uncertainties persist regarding its efficacy as a maintenance treatment. This prospective study seeks to investigate the efficacy of maintenance rTMS in individuals with TRD who have previously responded to an acute course of rTMS. In the R61 phase of the study, we will recruit 75 participants across three study sites, the University of California San Diego, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Australian National University, into a double-blind, three-arm maintenance treatment trial. In this trial, participants will be randomized to receive either standard maintenance rTMS, clustered maintenance rTMS, or sham maintenance rTMS for a duration of 6 months. Our primary aim is to examine the efficacy of maintenance rTMS on sustaining connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and subgenual cingulate cortex (SGC) measured through concurrent TMS and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) at baseline and every six weeks throughout the 6-month treatment period. We will also assess changes in depressive symptom severity using clinical scales, including the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) as a secondary outcome measure. It is hypothesized that stimulation with clustered maintenance rTMS will demonstrate superiority in sustaining DLPFC-SGC connectivity compared with standard maintenance rTMS and sham maintenance rTMS
Major Depressive Disorder, Treatment Resistant Depression
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), yet substantial uncertainties persist regarding its efficacy as a maintenance treatment. This prospective study seeks to investigate the efficacy of maintenance rTMS in individuals with TRD who have previously responded to an acute course of rTMS. In the R61 phase of the study, we will recruit 75 participants across three study sites, the University of California San Diego, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Australian National University, into a double-blind, three-arm maintenance treatment trial. In this trial, participants will be randomized to receive either standard maintenance rTMS, clustered maintenance rTMS, or sham maintenance rTMS for a duration of 6 months. Our primary aim is to examine the efficacy of maintenance rTMS on sustaining connectivity between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and subgenual cingulate cortex (SGC) measured through concurrent TMS and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) at baseline and every six weeks throughout the 6-month treatment period. We will also assess changes in depressive symptom severity using clinical scales, including the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) as a secondary outcome measure. It is hypothesized that stimulation with clustered maintenance rTMS will demonstrate superiority in sustaining DLPFC-SGC connectivity compared with standard maintenance rTMS and sham maintenance rTMS
Maintenance rTMS for Depression (Maitr-De)
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University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States, 92127
Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States, 10065
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
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18 Years to 80 Years
ALL
No
University of California, San Diego,
2026-03-31