NCT00287703

Brief Summary

About 30% of patients with major depression are treatment resistant to pharmacological treatment. In the search for new methods to treat depression a great interest has been put into the use of electromagnetic fields. This study tests the hypothesis that ultra-weak electromagnetic fields with a specific wave pattern (PEMF = pulsed electro magnetic fields) can alleviate the symptoms of depression.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
50

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for phase_3 depression

Timeline
Completed

Started Mar 2006

Typical duration for phase_3 depression

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

January 31, 2006

Completed
7 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

February 7, 2006

Completed
22 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 1, 2006

Completed
3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

March 1, 2009

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 1, 2009

Completed
Last Updated

May 29, 2009

Status Verified

May 1, 2009

Enrollment Period

3 years

First QC Date

January 31, 2006

Last Update Submit

May 28, 2009

Conditions

Keywords

Major depressionTreatment resistantPEMFAQTHamilton

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score (depression)

    1 week

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • AQT, measure of concentration

    weekly

Study Arms (2)

1

EXPERIMENTAL

Active Pulsating Electro Magnetic Fields (PEMF) treatment

Device: Pulsating Electro-Magnetic Fields

2

SHAM COMPARATOR

5 days a week for 5 weeks for 30 minutes Sham PEMF

Device: Pulsating Electro-Magnetic Fields sham

Interventions

5 days a week for 5 weeks 30 minutes

1

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Major depression
  • Treatment resistance
  • Age above 18 years
  • Hamilton 17 item score above 13
  • Unaltered pharmacological treatment in last 4 weeks

You may not qualify if:

  • Psychotic disorder
  • Mental retardation
  • Suicidality
  • Earlier treatment with PEMF
  • Abuse of alcohol or other substances
  • Patient not able to come to appointed visits
  • Antisocial, borderline or schizotypic personality disorder
  • Women lactating or pregnant
  • Unreliable contraception

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Speciallægerne Falkoner Allé

Municipality of Frederiksberg, 2000, Denmark

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Martiny K, Lunde M, Bech P. Transcranial low voltage pulsed electromagnetic fields in patients with treatment-resistant depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2010 Jul 15;68(2):163-9. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.02.017. Epub 2010 Apr 10.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

DepressionDepressive Disorder, Major

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral SymptomsBehaviorDepressive DisorderMood DisordersMental Disorders

Study Officials

  • Klaus Martiny, MD, Ph.D.

    Psychiatric Research Unit Fredericksburg General Hospital

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 3
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
TRIPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

January 31, 2006

First Posted

February 7, 2006

Study Start

March 1, 2006

Primary Completion

March 1, 2009

Study Completion

March 1, 2009

Last Updated

May 29, 2009

Record last verified: 2009-05

Locations