A Phase 2 interventional study of Intermittent theta burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS) in Major Depressive Disorder, sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Withdrawn at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 13 Years to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-04-28.
Sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment
Background:
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most impairing medical conditions in the world. Medication and some kinds of talk therapy are standard treatments for teens with MDD, but these do not work well for everyone. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been approved to treat MDD in adults. TMS might help adolescents, too.
Objective:
To test TMS combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in teens with MDD.
Eligibility:
People aged 13 to 17 years with MDD that has not responded to treatment.
Design:
Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam and psychiatric evaluation. They will have an MRI scan and a test of their heart function. They will enroll in 2 NIH protocols (01-M-0254 and 18-M-0037).
For 2 to 6 weeks, participants will have weekly CBT, a kind of talk therapy. They will taper off of their psychiatric medicines.
For 2 weeks, participants will come to the clinic every weekday. They will receive 3 or 4 sessions of TMS on each of those days. A wire coil will be held on their scalp. A brief electrical current in the coil creates a magnetic pulse that affects brain activity. They will receive 30 TMS pulses in 10-second bursts; these will be repeated 60 times in each 15-minute session. Participants may hear a click and feel a pulling sensation under the coil. They may feel their muscles twitch. Each day, they will have tests of concentration, thinking, and memory. Some may have a 3rd week of TMS.
Participants will remain in the study for 5 more weeks. They will begin taking their medications again.
Study Description:
This is a safety and pilot efficacy study of open, neuronavigated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in medication-free youth with treatment-resistant major depression. The hypothesis is that intermittent theta burst TMS is a safe and potentially effective treatment for treatment-resistant major depression in adolescents.
Objectives:
The study has two objectives: 1) To evaluate safety, feasibility, and potential efficacy of iTBS in medication-free youth with the goal of supporting a future randomized controlled trial in youth with treatment-resistant major depression; 2) To assess changes in levels of psychiatric symptoms and brain imaging parameters after iTBS in youth with treatment-resistant major depression.
Endpoints:
Primary Endpoints:
Children s Depression Rating Scale (CDRS); rates of treatment completion and adverse events on standard rating scales
Secondary Endpoints:
2,741 studies on the registry are indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major; 559 are open to participants now.
Browse Depressive Disorder, Major studies →National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead sponsor of 359 studies on the registry; 46 are open to participants now.
Of its 25 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 24 (96%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Ages 13-17 at the time of enrollment
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
TMS
Device: Intermittent theta burst repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS)
Device described in protocol
Treatment completion rate
Rate of participants completing 20 or more iTBS sessions
Time frame: End of protocol
Adverse event rate
Clinical rating on standardized scale
Time frame: Continuous
Clinician Depression Rating Scale
Clinician-rated report
Time frame: Weekly
Plan to share: Yes — The full dataset will be shared to the extent that it is allowable by the IRB and consent process.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Sap, Icf, Csr, Analytic code
This study is withdrawn, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)