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Sham Accelerated TMS for Depression in Young People

This study is looking at how your expectations about treatment can affect your mood and motivation, especially when it comes to everyday rewards. We are inviting young people aged 15 to 25 who have slight to severe symptoms of depression. You will receive a "sham" (inactive) version of accelerated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), meaning no actual brain stimulation will be given. The study aims to see if your beliefs about treatment change during and after this sham TMS, and if these expectations influence your mood or how you react to rewards. We also want to understand if a more intensive schedule of sham sessions has different effects than a slower schedule.

Study design
This interventional study plans to enroll 25 participants. All participants will receive sham Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
What's involved
You would participate in the study from enrollment until the end of the study at 5 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
You will be followed from enrollment until the end of the study at 5 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07397858

Cognition and Behavior With Sham Accelerated TMS

Recruiting
NAAges 15–25InterventionalBasic science
University of California, Davis
~25 participants
Updated 2026-07-16 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Sham

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Accelerated sham TMS feasibility
Measured over From enrollment to end of study at 5 weeks
+3 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Depression

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Depression

NCT07397858

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • UC Davis Medical Center

    Sacramento, Californiastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Who to contact

Maitri Khanna
[email protected]
916-848-5135
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

English speaking
Able to provide informed consent (and assent if \< 18 years)
15-25 years old
Slight-to-severe symptoms of depression

Exclusion

Past exposure to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Unable to consent (due to medical condition, psychosis, substance use, etc)
Acute suicidal crisis or with active medical illness that would interfere with participation
Contraindications to receiving MRI as determined by screening questionnaires (Contraindications for MRI include metal in the body related to an injury or surgery, for example, surgical clips, metal fragments in the eyes, or piercings that cannot be removed. Subjects with braces or permanent retainers will not be scanned, because the effects on image signal are not well understood and may affect comparability between subjects and scan sites. Participants will be excluded for major neurological problems, such as seizure disorder, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, or sensory problems that may impair task performance, such as blindness.)
Participation in any clinical study with exposure to any investigational treatment or product within the previous 30 days, or plan on concurrent participation in other studies

What this trial measures

  • Accelerated sham TMS feasibilityFrom enrollment to end of study at 5 weeks

    Proportion of participants who complete the accelerated sham TMS protocol, defined as completion of all scheduled stimulation sessions. Feasibility will be assessed using session attendance logs and protocol completion records.

  • Change in treatment expectancy and beliefsFrom enrollment to end of study at 5 weeks

    Change in treatment expectancy and beliefs score from baseline to end of study at 5 weeks, as measured by the Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ). Outcomes will be quantified as the difference in total CEQ score between time points. CEQ scores range from 1 to 9 for treatment credibility and expectancy, with higher scores indicating greater perceived credibility/ expectancy.

  • Change in reward sensitivityFrom enrollment to end of study at 5 weeks

    Change in reward sensitivity will be assessed as the difference in scores from baseline to 5-week follow-up on validated self-report measures, including the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS), and the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). SPSRQ scores range from 0-24 for each subscale, TEPS scores range from 18-108, and SHAPS scores range from 14-56, with higher scores indicating greater sensitivity to reward/punishment, pleasure capacity, and anhedonia, respectively.

  • Change in craving and engagementFrom enrollment to end of study at 5 weeks

    Changes in cravings and engagement with reinforcing stimuli will be assessed as the difference in scores from baseline to 5-week follow-up on various self-report measures and tasks. Craving will be assessed using a behavioral craving task, with outcomes quantified as change in task-derived craving ratings or performance metrics from baseline to follow-up. Substance use will additionally be assessed as change in drug use frequency and quantity over the study period.