ClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07793071B1PedUpdated Aug 28, 2026

Oral Thiamine (Vitamin B1) for Depression in Children and Adolescents

A Phase 2 interventional study of thiamine hydrochloride 100 mg in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Thiamine and Vitamin B1, sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 8 Years to 17 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-28.

Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital · Phase 2, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
8 Years to 17 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of thiamine in reducing depressive symptoms in children and adolescents. The investigators hypothesize that thiamine administration will alleviate depressive symptoms in children and adolescents and will have a favorable safety profile.

Participants will complete a baseline virtual visit with a study clinician and parent/guardian questionnaires to assess depression symptoms, medical history, current medications, and study eligibility.

Participants will complete fasting blood draws before and after the 4-week study period and, if eligible, receive study thiamine capsules by mail to take daily during the study.

Participants will attend weekly virtual visits for 4 weeks to monitor depression symptoms, safety, medication adherence, side effects, and any changes in medications or treatments.

Read the detailed description

This will be a 28-day, open-label, Phase 2a pilot trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 100 mg of daily oral thiamine in the treatment of depression in children and adolescents. Subjects will include pediatric patients 8-17 years of age with elevated depressive symptoms. The investigators plan to enroll 40 subjects to account for an expected dropout rate, with the goal of retaining 30 participants for analysis.

The main outcome measures will be improvement in depressive symptoms as measured by the Children Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R). Overall clinical functioning will be assessed using the Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S) and Improvement (CGI-I) scales. The Children's Depression Inventory-2 Parent Form (CDI-2) will also be included as a secondary outcome measure.

Thiamine status will be assessed by measuring thiamine diphosphate (TDP) concentrations in whole blood samples (3 mL), collected in EDTA tubes (lavender top) at two time points: at baseline and at the end of study (Day 28).

In addition to measuring thiamine diphosphate (TDP) concentrations, the investigators will also assess a panel of inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers at baseline and at the end of study (Day 28). These biomarkers include C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor-necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and leptin.

Biomarker testing allows exploration of potential thiamine mechanisms of action.

The investigators plan to treat subjects with the following doses:

Thiamine hydrochloride (HCL): 100 mg daily

At each visit, measures of safety and efficacy will be obtained using rating scales.

02

Conditions studied

  • Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
  • Thiamine
  • Vitamin B1
  • Thiamine Diphosphate (TDP)
  • Pediatrics

Keywords

  • Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
  • Thiamine
  • Vitamin B1
  • Pediatrics
  • Thiamine Diphosphate (TDP)
03

In context

Depressive Disorder, Major

3,041 studies on the registry are indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major; 588 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 40 is below the median of 79 across 2,530 interventional studies indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major.

Browse Depressive Disorder, Major studies →

Lead sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital is the lead sponsor of 2,586 studies on the registry; 447 are open to participants now.

Of its 222 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 168 (76%) have results posted.

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

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
8 Years to 17 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female participants aged 8 to 17.5 years (inclusive) at the time of enrollment
  • Diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) according to the , Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
  • Evidence of symptoms of depression as indicated by a T score> 60 on the Children's Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2) parent form at prescreening
  • Evidence of clinically significant symptoms of depression in the mild to moderate range as indicated by a score between 40 and 70 on the Children's Depression Rating Scale--Revised (CDRS-R) at screening
  • Subjects and their caregivers must be English-speaking and have a level of understanding sufficient to communicate intelligently with the investigator and study coordinator, and to cooperate with all tests and examinations required by the protocol.
  • Subject and their caregiver must be willing and able to comply with all study procedures.
  • Each subject and his/her authorized parent/guardian must understand the nature of the study. The subject's authorized parent/guardian must sign an document, and the subject must sign an informed assent document.
  • Subject must be able to swallow pills.
  • Subject must have access to a computer with a camera, speaker, microphone, and internet connection.
  • Subjects must be willing to refrain from treatment changes during the study protocol.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Recent history or active manifestations of infectious, metabolic, hepatic, renal, hematological, pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, dermatological, urogenital, neurological, endocrinological or eyes, ears, nose, and throat disorders, or any other acute or chronic condition that, in the Investigator's opinion, would limit the participant's ability to complete or participate in this clinical study.
  • History of sensitivity to thiamine
  • Severe allergies or multiple adverse drug reactions.
  • History of nutritional deficiencies other than thiamine deficiency that could interfere with the study protocol or confound results.
  • diagnosis of substance use disorder, abuse or dependence.
  • Judged clinically to be at serious suicidal risk for Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) score ≥4.
  • Severe symptoms of depression as indicated by CDRS-R score >70.
  • Current diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
  • Current diagnosis of schizophrenia.
  • Current diagnosis or symptoms of psychosis.
  • Previous or current diagnosis of Intellectual Disability.
  • Participants who are on stable pharmacotherapy will be included as long as the medication has been stable for at least 6 weeks prior to screening and will continue without change for the duration of the study. Participants on pharmacotherapy that has not been stable for at least 6 weeks will be excluded.
  • Participants who are in stable psychotherapy will be included as long as they have started psychotherapy at least 3 months prior to screening and will continue therapy without change for the duration of the study. Participants receiving psychotherapy that has not been stable for at least 6 weeks will be excluded.
  • Concomitant treatment or treatment within the last month with neuroleptics, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, sedatives or hypnotics.
  • More than two antidepressant treatment failures at an adequate dose and duration (at least 6 weeks) in the current major depressive episode.
  • Having started psychotherapy (including cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) less than 3 months prior to Screening
  • Pregnancy: Female participants who are pregnant or breastfeeding will be excluded to avoid risks to the child and ensure safety in the use of thiamine.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(3)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

DSM diagnostic criteria

The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.

Clinically significant

Judged by the study doctor to matter for your health or for the study. It is a doctor’s decision, so ask the study team if you are unsure whether something counts.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Thiamine

    Participants will receive 100 mg HCl oral thiamine capsules, which will be swallowed whole.

    Drug: thiamine hydrochloride 100 mg

Interventions

  • Participants will receive 100 mg HCl oral thiamine capsules, which will be swallowed whole.

    Also known as: Vitamin B1, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Thiamine HCl

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change From Baseline in Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) Total Score

    Change in depressive symptom severity from baseline to Week 4 as measured by the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R). Lower scores indicate reduced depression severity and improvement in depressive symptoms over the course of thiamine treatment.

    Time frame: 28 days

Secondary outcomes

  1. Number of Participants Demonstrating Clinical Improvement on the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) Scale

    Number of participants demonstrating clinical improvement on the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) Scale at Week 4. The proportion of participants meeting the predefined improvement threshold will be reported along with the corresponding 95% confidence interval.

    Time frame: 28 days

Other outcomes

  1. Concentration of End-of-Treatment Whole Blood Thiamine Diphosphate (TDP) and Depression Severity Measured by the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) Total Score at Day 28

    The association between whole blood thiamine diphosphate (TDP) concentration and depression severity at the end of treatment (Day 28) will be evaluated. Thiamine status will be assessed by measurement of TDP concentration in whole blood samples collected at Day 28. Depression severity will be assessed using the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised (CDRS-R) total score (range: 17 to 113; higher scores indicate greater depression severity). Regression models will be used to evaluate the relationship between Day 28 TDP concentration and Day 28 CDRS-R total score.

    Time frame: 28 days

  2. Change in Blood Concentrations of C-Reactive Protein (CRP), Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and Leptin From Baseline to Day 28

    Blood concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and leptin will be measured at baseline and Day 28. Change from baseline to Day 28 in each biomarker concentration will be assessed to characterize changes in inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers during thiamine supplementation. Changes over time will be evaluated using effect estimates and 95% confidence intervals.

    Time frame: 28 days

07

Study locations

No study locations are listed for this record.

08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Start is estimated for Oct 2026; primary completion for Jan 2029, 27 months later.

Of 99 non-industry phase 2 interventional studies under Depressive Disorder, Major, half reached primary completion within 35 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 23 and three quarters within 57. This study's planned 27 months is below that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 195 studies reached it within 22 months; a quarter within 14 and three quarters within 37.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Aug 18, 2026
First posted
Aug 28, 2026
StartEst.
Oct 1, 2026
Primary completionEst.
Jan 1, 2029
CompletionEst.
Jan 1, 2029
Last update
Aug 28, 2026
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 28, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07793071
Responsible party
Clotilde Guidetti (Principal Investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 28, 2026
Start date
Oct 1, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Jan 1, 2029 (estimated)
Completion
Jan 1, 2029 (estimated)
Last update
Aug 28, 2026

Study contacts

Clotilde Guidetti, MD
Contact
cguidetti@mgh.harvard.edu
617-634-4475

Oversight

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

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Studies of the drug tested here: Thiamine hydrochloride

Start the discussion