The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical effects (if any) of connectivity-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) to provide clues about the ideal neural networks to target for more robust clinical outcomes, and to identify potential biomarkers of treatment response including changes in brain network connectivity.
The investigators propose a randomized, double-blind, 4-week trial of TMS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for subjects with MDD all of whom at the patient's treatment clinic are concurrently receiving pharmaceutical and psychotherapeutic interventions. Arm 1 delivers active rTMS to the left DLPFC using the standard aiming strategy. Arm 2 delivers active rTMS to the left anterior DLPFC using connectivity-based, image-guided aiming. Arm 3 delivers active rTMS to the left posterior DLPFC using connectivity-based, image-guided aiming. In all three arms, rTMS is administered in an image-guided, robotically-positioned TMS (irTMS) manner to ensure therapist blinding and equivalent subject experiences across arms. In all three arms, the following stimulation protocol will be used: 10 Hz irTMS delivered in 4 sec trains with 26 sec inter-train intervals, 37.5 minutes/session (i.e. 3,000 pulses/session), 5 sessions/week, for 4 weeks. Neuroimaging will be used both for treatment planning and to characterize any TMS-induced network plasticity using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) at week 4 of each treatment arm. Clinical assessments will be administered weekly throughout treatment (weeks 1-4) at the patient's treatment clinic. Additional psychological tests will be performed at UT Health-San Antonio's Research Imaging Institute (RII) at the baseline and post-treatment visits in order to track patient progress.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
10
The MagPro R30 is an advanced, high performance magnetic stimulator designed primarily for non-invasive clinical use. The non-invasive brain stimulation system will be used to deliver repetitive electromagnetic pulses in this research study's treatment of major depressive disorder.
This robotic system is based on a commercially available neurosurgical robot. The robot is mounted on a mobile (i.e. retractable wheels) cart which holds the robot controller and the TMS power supply and pulse-generation computer. The robotic system will be used for TMS coil positioning/targeting.
Ikare, Mood, Trauma, Recovery Clinic
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Change in Depression Severity (MADRS)
Measured by the Montgomery-Ashberg Depression Rating Scale. This is a 10-item diagnostic questionnaire with an overall score range from 0 to 60. A higher score indicates more severe depression: 0 to 6 - normal/symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression \>34 - severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline to four weeks (the conclusion of rTMS treatment)
Change in Depression Severity (MADRS)
Measured by the Montgomery-Ashberg Depression Rating Scale. This is a 10-item diagnostic questionnaire with an overall score range from 0 to 60. A higher score indicates more severe depression: 0 to 6 - normal/symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression \>34 - severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline to sixteen weeks (twelve weeks after the conclusion of rTMS treatment)
Clinically Significant Response (MADRS)
Defined as greater than or equal to a 50% decrease in the Montgomery-Ashberg Depression Rating Scale. This is a 10-item diagnostic questionnaire with an overall score range from 0 to 60. A higher score indicates more severe depression: 0 to 6 - normal/symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression \>34 - severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline to four weeks (the conclusion of rTMS treatment)
Clinically Significant Response (MADRS)
Defined as greater than or equal to a 50% decrease in the Montgomery-Ashberg Depression Rating Scale. This is a 10-item diagnostic questionnaire with an overall score range from 0 to 60. A higher score indicates more severe depression: 0 to 6 - normal/symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression \>34 - severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline to sixteen weeks (twelve weeks after the conclusion of rTMS treatment)
Remission From Depression (MADRS)
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Defined as Montgomery-Ashberg Depression Rating Scale score less than or equal to 10. This is a 10-item diagnostic questionnaire with an overall score range from 0 to 60. A higher score indicates more severe depression: 0 to 6 - normal/symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression \>34 - severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline to four weeks (the conclusion of rTMS treatment)
Remission From Depression (MADRS)
Defined as Montgomery-Ashberg Depression Rating Scale score less than or equal to 10. This is a 10-item diagnostic questionnaire with an overall score range from 0 to 60. A higher score indicates more severe depression: 0 to 6 - normal/symptom absent 7 to 19 - mild depression 20 to 34 - moderate depression \>34 - severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline to sixteen weeks (twelve weeks after the conclusion of rTMS treatment)
Functional Connectivity Changes of the Targeted Brain Network(s) Following rTMS Treatment
resting-state fMRI scan will also be used to assess, network-specific functional connectivity differences between each subject's pre-treatment and post-treatment scans. The purpose of the Z score is to "standardize" distributions so that each has a mean of 0, and standard deviation as 1, so we can then make comparisons. Standard Score, the "Z-Score": A way to make a comparison between values on two different normal curves by converting the values to the number of standard deviations above or below the mean.
Time frame: Baseline to four weeks (the conclusion of rTMS treatment)