CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01944644Updated Sep 17, 2018Results posted

Low Field Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment Resistant Depression

An interventional study of Active Low Field Magnetic Stimulation and Sham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation in Treatment Resistant Depression, sponsored by Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2018-09-17.

Sponsored by Weill Medical College of Cornell University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
66
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This is a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled phase II study of the effects of Low Field Magnetic Stimulation (LFMS) on brain circuitry of adults with treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Eligible subjects will be randomly assigned to double-blind treatment with three 20 minute sessions of either (1) active LFMS or (2) sham LFMS. Resting state fMRI will be performed at baseline and following the third and final treatment session.

Read the detailed description

A minimum of 60 subjects will enter the double-blind treatment phase of the study. This trial will be conducted according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines and the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent will be obtained from all patients before protocol-specified procedures are carried out. The subjects will be drawn from an outpatient sample of patients with current Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) diagnosed with the use of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).

LFMS will follow a previously published protocol for the treatment of a Major Depressive Episode (Rohan et al. 2004). LFMS treatments will be delivered with a prototype LFMS device manufactured by Tal Medical. LFMS sessions consist of proton echo-planar magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (EP-MRSI) and will be 20min in duration. LFMS exposes subjects to magnetic fields of the same magnitude and frequency used in clinical MR-Spectroscopic imaging of the brain. Sham LFMS will consist of a three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence of the same duration as active LFMS and which provides auditory stimulation indistinguishable from active treatment.

At the beginning of a treatment session, the subject will sit in front of and position his head within the open bore of the Tal Medical LFMS device. The device will be pre-programmed to deliver active or sham treatment so that the subject, operator, and all investigators are blinded to active treatment vs. sham. Immediately before and after each treatment session, the PANAS, Ham-D-6, and Visual Analog Mood Scale will be administered and the patient will be monitored for any adverse events.

All participants will undergo two sessions of neuroimaging: On the Friday prior to the first treatment session (Day 0) and on the day of the third and final treatment session (Day 7). Each session of neuroimaging will be 50 minutes in duration and include three imaging modalities: Resting State fMRI (rsfMRI), Arterial Spin Labeling MRI (ASL), and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). In addition, we will obtain high-resolution anatomical volumes (SPGR) for each subject for the purpose of transforming each individual's imaging data into a common space for group comparisons. Subjects will lie still in the scanner and will be instructed to let their mind "wander freely" during the acquisition of the resting state fMRI scan, which will last 6 minutes (Anon 2001). They will also be instructed to lie still during the ASL and DTI scans (each lasting 8 minutes). In addition, we will obtain a high-resolution T1-weighted (MP-RAGE) anatomical scan for co-registration of each individual's imaging data into a common space for group statistics..

Resting state fMRI will be used to measure the functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) and other circuits that are known to function abnormally in MDD (Greicius et al. 2007). ASL will be used to measure the regional blood flow within individual nodes of this circuitry, while DTI will measure the structural integrity of the connections between nodes. Measurements at baseline will be compared to measurements post-LFMS in both active treatment and sham groups.

02

Conditions studied

03

In context

Depression

8,055 studies on the registry are indexed under Depression; 1,643 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 66 is below the median of 84 across 6,718 interventional studies indexed under Depression.

Browse Depression studies →

Lead sponsor

Weill Medical College of Cornell University is the lead sponsor of 867 studies on the registry; 160 are open to participants now.

Of its 119 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 91 (76%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  1. Subjects must be able to understand and read English and give written informed consent prior to the protocol required procedures.
  2. Men and women, ages 18 to 65 inclusive with a diagnosis of major depressive episode as defined by DSM-IV-TR criteria.
  3. History of an inadequate response to 1 or more adequate antidepressant treatments in the current depressive episode.
  4. Subjects must have a 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-17) score ≥ 18.
  5. Subjects must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of approximately 18-40 kg/m².
  6. Women of childbearing potential (WOCBP) must be using an adequate method of contraception to avoid pregnancy throughout the study and must have a negative urine pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to the start of LFMS.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. WOCBP who are unwilling or unable to use an acceptable method to avoid pregnancy for the entire study period.
  2. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  3. Subjects with other DSM-IV-TR Axis I disorders other than Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD: 300.02), Social Anxiety Disorder (300.23), or Specific Phobia (300.29). Subjects with co-morbid GAD, Social Anxiety Disorder, or Specific Phobia are ineligible if the co-morbid condition is clinically unstable, requires treatment, or has been the primary focus of treatment within the 6 month period prior to screening.
  4. Delirium, dementia, or other cognitive disorder
  5. Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder, based on the MINI.
  6. Patients with a clinically significant Axis II diagnosis of borderline, antisocial, paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal or histrionic personality disorder.
  7. Patients experiencing hallucinations, delusions, or any psychotic symptomatology in the current or any previous depressive episode.
  8. Patients who have met DSM-IV-TR criteria for any significant substance use disorder within the past six months.
  9. Patients receiving new-onset psychotherapy and/or somatic therapy (light therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation) within 6 weeks of screening, or at any time during participation in the trial.
  10. Patients who, in the opinion of the Investigator, are actively suicidal and at significant risk for suicide.
  11. Patients who have participated in any clinical trial with an investigational drug or device within the past month.
  12. Patients who have received ECT in the past 20 years or Vagal Nerve/Deep Brain Stimulation during their lifetime.
  13. Unstable medical illness including, cardiovascular, hepatic, renal, respiratory, endocrine, neurological, or hematological disease.
  14. Subjects with evidence or history of significant neurological disorder, including head trauma with loss of consciousness, history of stroke, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy disorder, conditions that lower seizure threshold, seizures of any etiology (including substance or drug withdrawal), who are taking medications to control seizures, or who have increased risk of seizures as evidenced by history of EEG with epileptiform activity (with the exception of juvenile febrile seizures).
  15. Patients with thyroid pathology (unless condition has been stabilized with medications for at least the past three months).
  16. Patients who have recently (within two weeks) begun any medications.
  17. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (e.g., Nardil, phenelzine, Parnate, tranylcypromine, Marplan, isocarboxazide) treatment within the 2 weeks prior to enrollment.
  18. Patients with a history of antidepressant-induced hypomania or dysphoria.
  19. Participants with metal implants (Will use the NY Presbyterian Hospital MRI Checklist)
  20. Any of the following exclusion criteria for MRI Cardiac pacemaker or pacing wires Implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) Cochlear, otologic, or other ear implant Tissue expander (e.g., breast) Implanted drug infusion device Aneurysm clip(s) Deep Brain Stimulator Other Neuro-stimulator Prosthesis (eye, penile, limb, etc.) Artificial heart valve Eyelid spring or wire Stent, filter, or coil Programmable shunt Catheter or feeding tube with metal tip Radiation seeds Medication patch (Nicotine, Nitroglycerine) Any metallic fragment, foreign body or bullets Surgical staples, clips, metallic sutures or wire mesh Bone/joint pin, screw, nail, wire, plate, etc. IUD, diaphragm, or pessary Dentures or braces Tattoo, permanent makeup or body piercing jewelry Hearing aid (Remove before entering the MR system room) Breathing problem and motion disorder Claustrophobia Hair Extensions
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Quadruple (Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
66 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Active Low Field Magnetic Stimulation

    LFMS will follow a previously published protocol for the treatment of a Major Depressive Episode (Rohan et al. 2004). Active Low Field Magnetic Stimulation treatments will be delivered with a prototype LFMS device manufactured by Tal Medical. LFMS sessions consist of proton echo-planar magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (EP-MRSI) and will be 20min in duration. LFMS exposes subjects to magnetic fields of the same magnitude and frequency used in clinical MR-Spectroscopic imaging of the brain.

    Device: Active Low Field Magnetic Stimulation

  • Sham comparator
    Sham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation

    Sham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation will consist of a three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence of the same duration as active LFMS and which provides auditory stimulation indistinguishable from active treatment.

    Device: Sham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation

Interventions

  • DeviceActive Low Field Magnetic Stimulation

    Active Low Field Magnetic Stimulation treatments will be delivered with a prototype LFMS device manufactured by Tal Medical. LFMS sessions consist of proton echo-planar magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (EP-MRSI) and will be 20min in duration. LFMS exposes subjects to magnetic fields of the same magnitude and frequency used in clinical MR-Spectroscopic imaging of the brain.

  • DeviceSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation

    Sham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation will consist of a three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequence of the same duration as active LFMS and which provides auditory stimulation indistinguishable from active treatment.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. 6 Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

    This is to compare the 6 Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale from the Screen to after 3 Sessions of Active or Sham LFMS (7 days post-baseline). The Hamilton Scale for Depression 6 item subscale scores range from 0-24. Higher scores indicate greater severity of depression. Total scores are reported with no subscales.

    Time frame: 7 days after baseline

  2. Visual Analog Scale

    A Visual Analog Scale is a measurement of subjective characteristics that cannot be directly measured. Using this self questionnaire, subjects specify their level of depression along a continuous line between two end-points ranging from 0-100 (higher score means better mood).

    Time frame: 7 days after baseline

  3. Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Negative Subscale

    The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) measures both positive affect and negative affect. Participants in the PANAS are required to respond to two 20-item subscales using 5-point scale that ranges from very slightly or not at all (1) to extremely (5). This negative subscale captures self-rated scale of symptoms of depression ranging from 0-50 (higher score means worse depression).

    Time frame: 7 days after baseline

  4. Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Positive Subscale

    The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) measures both positive affect and negative affect. Participants in the PANAS are required to respond to two 20-item subscales using 5-point scale that ranges from very slightly or not at all (1) to extremely (5). This positive subscale captures self-rated scale of symptoms of depression ranging from 0-50 (higher score means worse depression).

    Time frame: 7 days after baseline

07

Results

Posted Sep 17, 2018

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneActive Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation
Started3432
Completed3432
Not completed00

Outcome measures

Primary6 Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale

This is to compare the 6 Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale from the Screen to after 3 Sessions of Active or Sham LFMS (7 days post-baseline). The Hamilton Scale for Depression 6 item subscale scores range from 0-24. Higher scores indicate greater severity of depression. Total scores are reported with no subscales.

Time frame:
7 days after baseline
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
6 Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale
units on a scaleActive Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation
6 Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale7.4 ± 3.47.6 ± 3.7
PrimaryVisual Analog Scale

A Visual Analog Scale is a measurement of subjective characteristics that cannot be directly measured. Using this self questionnaire, subjects specify their level of depression along a continuous line between two end-points ranging from 0-100 (higher score means better mood).

Time frame:
7 days after baseline
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Visual Analog Scale
units on a scaleActive Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation
Visual Analog Scale74 ± 20.659.4 ± 26.2
PrimaryPositive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Negative Subscale

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) measures both positive affect and negative affect. Participants in the PANAS are required to respond to two 20-item subscales using 5-point scale that ranges from very slightly or not at all (1) to extremely (5). This negative subscale captures self-rated scale of symptoms of depression ranging from 0-50 (higher score means worse depression).

Time frame:
7 days after baseline
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Negative Subscale
units on a scaleActive Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation
Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Negative Subscale15.8 ± 7.218.6 ± 7.4
PrimaryPositive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Positive Subscale

The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) measures both positive affect and negative affect. Participants in the PANAS are required to respond to two 20-item subscales using 5-point scale that ranges from very slightly or not at all (1) to extremely (5). This positive subscale captures self-rated scale of symptoms of depression ranging from 0-50 (higher score means worse depression).

Time frame:
7 days after baseline
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Positive Subscale
units on a scaleActive Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation
Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Positive Subscale24.8 ± 8.725.5 ± 11.9

Adverse events

Collected over 7 days.. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Active Low Field Magnetic Stimulation1/34 (2.9%)0/34 (0%)1/34 (2.9%)
Sham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation0/32 (0%)0/32 (0%)0/32 (0%)
Most frequent other events
Most frequent other events
EventActive Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic Stimulation
Panic AttackPsychiatric disorders1/340/32

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
Mean46.6 ± 15.146.2 ± 12.246.4 ± 13.65
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
Female172037
Male171229
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
Hispanic or Latino459
Not Hispanic or Latino302757
Unknown or Not Reported000
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
American Indian or Alaska Native000
Asian011
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander000
Black or African American7815
White262248
More than one race112
Unknown or Not Reported000
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(Participants)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
United States343266
Hamilton Scale for Depression (HamD) 6 Item
Hamilton Scale for Depression (HamD) 6 Item(units on a scale)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
Mean11.8 ± 1.711.4 ± 1.811.6 ± 1.75
Visual Analog Scale
Visual Analog Scale(units on a scale)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
Mean55.4 ± 19.949.9 ± 21.852.7 ± 20.1
Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Negative Subscale
Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) - Negative Subscale(units on a scale)Active Low Field Magnetic StimulationSham Low Field Magnetic StimulationTotal
Mean23.7 ± 7.627.5 ± 8.925.6 ± 8.25

1 further baseline measures are reported on the registry.

08

Study locations

1 site
  • Weill Cornell Medical College
    New York, New York 10065, United States
09

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Participants will be able to find out which treatment arm they were assigned at the conclusion of the study.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 17, 2018, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01944644
Lead sponsor
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 17, 2013
Start date
Aug 2013
Primary completion
May 2016
Completion
May 2016
Results posted
Sep 17, 2018
Last update
Sep 17, 2018

Study contacts

Marc Dubin, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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