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Mechanisms Of Orbitofrontal Stimulation in Depression
Sponsor: Subha Subramanian
Summary
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a region involved in emotional regulation, decision making, and reward processing, is a key area linked to antidepressant response. This study tests whether noninvasive stimulation of the OFC using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can improve depressive symptoms. TMS uses magnetic fields generated by a coil placed next to the scalp to alter brain activity.
Official title: Mechanisms Of Orbitofrontal Stimulation in Depression (MOOD)
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
80
Start Date
2026-01
Completion Date
2030-12
Last Updated
2025-11-17
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Sham TMS
The MagVenture MagPro system's active/sham coil (e.g., Cool-B65 A/P) will be used to deliver either active or sham TMS. The sham mode reproduces the same clicking sound and scalp sensation as active stimulation but does not induce cortical activation. The built-in MagPro double-blind feature ensures operator, participant, and investigator blinding. All participants will be randomized to receive active or sham TMS to the OFC in the first phase.
Active TMS
TMS uses magnetic fields generated by a coil placed next to the scalp to alter brain activity at a specific region (i.e., OFC) protocol. Here, active TMS protocol is continuous intermittent theta burst stimulation (cTBS, a type of inhibitory TMS) to the right OFC. Investigators will use the MagVenture MagPro system's active/sham coil (e.g., Cool-B65 A/P) to deliver either active or sham TMS. All participants will be randomized to receive active or sham TMS to the OFC in the first phase. In the second phase, all participants will receive active TMS to the OFC. The active protocol to the right OFC is: continuous intermittent theta burst stimulation (cTBS, a type of inhibitory TMS).