Comparison of the Efficacy of Accelerated Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation and Accelerated Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation in Patients With Treatment-Resistant Depression

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-11-15

Study Completion Date

2027-01-15

Brief Summary

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In recent years, research on the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with treatment-resistant depression (RTD) has been steadily increasing. The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of accelerated unilateral application of two different forms of theta burst stimulation (TBU), a variation of repetitive TMU (rTMS)-intermittent TBU (iTBU) and continuous TBU (cTBU)-in TDD patients. The study aimed to compare the advantages of iTBU and cTBU protocols on depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety levels, sleep disturbances, cognitive performance, and overall functioning following a two-week intensive treatment period and a 12-week follow-up period.

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Detailed Description

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Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common form of mood disorders that is frequently encountered in the society, has high recurrence and chronicity rates, and can lead to significant physical, cognitive, and psychosocial dysfunction in individuals. Although there is no single universally accepted definition for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), one of the most frequently used definitions is "failure to respond to at least two different antidepressant treatments for a sufficient duration and at an appropriate dose." Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the left and/or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stands out as an alternative treatment approach in patients with TRD. One of these methods, theta-burst stimulation (TBS), is a non-invasive neuromodulation method approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment-resistant depression. Current methodological advances have enabled current TBS protocols to; Therapeutic efficacy can be enhanced by applying sessions multiple times a day, increasing the stimulation dose, and more precisely targeting the bilateral DLPFC. In addition to intermittent TBS (iTBS), continuous TBS (cTBS) protocols applied to the right DLPFC have also been reported to offer therapeutic potential in patients with TDD. Several studies have demonstrated that protocols consisting of 1,800 pulses produce lasting changes in cortical excitability and effectively trigger targeted neuroplastic mechanisms.

The study was planned to be conducted with patients who presented to the Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and were diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) according to the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. In this single-blind, parallel study, one group was scheduled to receive a total of 50 sessions of iTBS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left-DLPFC), while the other group received 50 sessions of cTBS to the right-DLPFC.

Clinical assessments of patients will be conducted at baseline, mid-treatment, at the end of treatment, and at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12 post-treatment. Depressive symptoms will be measured with the HAM-D and MADRS, anxiety with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), sleep disturbances with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), cognitive functions with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), and functioning with the Brief Functioning Assessment Scale (BFAS). Participants were expected to maintain their current psychotropic medication at stable doses throughout the study.

Conditions

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Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Accelerated Protocol Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation Unilateral rTMS

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Itbs

iTBS with eight digit coils to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with figure-eight coil

Intervention Type DEVICE

A total of 50 sessions will be administered to at least 30 patients, five sessions per day, five days a week for two weeks. There will be at least a 30-minute rest period between each session. One session for Group A involves a 5 Hz frequency intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol applied to the left DLPFC at 90-110% motor threshold.

ctbs

cTBS with a figure-of-eight coil to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with figure-eight coil

Intervention Type DEVICE

The other patient group (Group B), consisting of at least 30 individuals, will receive 5 sessions per day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks, for a total of 50 sessions. There will be at least a 30-minute rest period between each session. Group B will receive a 5 Hz, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) protocol to the right DLPFC at 80% motor threshold.

Interventions

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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with figure-eight coil

A total of 50 sessions will be administered to at least 30 patients, five sessions per day, five days a week for two weeks. There will be at least a 30-minute rest period between each session. One session for Group A involves a 5 Hz frequency intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol applied to the left DLPFC at 90-110% motor threshold.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with figure-eight coil

The other patient group (Group B), consisting of at least 30 individuals, will receive 5 sessions per day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks, for a total of 50 sessions. There will be at least a 30-minute rest period between each session. Group B will receive a 5 Hz, continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) protocol to the right DLPFC at 80% motor threshold.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Other Intervention Names

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A group B group

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. 18 to 65 years old
2. Patients diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder according to DSM 5 and the severity of their illness
3. Scoring 7 points or more on the Maudsley staging method
4. Having depression unresponsive to 2 different antidepressants
5. No clinical mental retardation
6. Agree to participate in the study
7. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 \[HDRS\] score of 20 or higher
8. Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale \[MADRS\] score of 20 or above
9. Being right hand dominant
10. Having used the same antidepressant at the same dose for the last 4 weeks

Exclusion Criteria

1. Diagnosed with a neurological or metabolic disease that affects cognitive functions (Systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic renal failure, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, polyneuropathy, inflammatory rheumatologic disease and malignancies)
2. Having a foreign body such as a pacemaker, intracranial implant that can magnetically interact
3. Hearing and visual impairments that prevent communication
4. Unstable or acute medical conditions
5. Pregnancy or breastfeeding
6. Having a primary psychiatric disorder other than major depressive disorder
7. Being diagnosed with severe MDD with psychotic features

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes