NCT03693105

Brief Summary

This multi-site, double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled mechanistic trial aims to test the effects of Magnus Neuromodulation System (MNS) with Stanford Accelerated Intermittent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT®) Technology on the neural circuitry of suicidal cognitions in psychiatrically hospitalized patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and active suicidal ideation (SI). This will be accomplished by applying the MNS with SAINT to a customized target within the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) identified with fMRI for five consecutive days and measuring resting-state functional connectivity (RS FC) between the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) and the default mode network (DMN) at baseline and immediate-post visit. The relationship between changes in RS FC and changes in both Explicit and Implicit Suicidal Cognitions (ESC and ISC, respectively) will be determined. This study will also determine the relationship between changes in RS FC in neural networks underlying mediators of suicidal cognitions and changes in such mediators with active versus sham SAINT.

Trial Health

57
Monitor

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
2

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for phase_2 major-depressive-disorder

Timeline
Completed

Started Jun 2024

Shorter than P25 for phase_2 major-depressive-disorder

Geographic Reach
1 country

4 active sites

Status
terminated

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

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

September 27, 2018

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

October 2, 2018

Completed
5.7 years until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

June 30, 2024

Completed
8 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

March 6, 2025

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 6, 2025

Completed
Last Updated

March 24, 2025

Status Verified

October 1, 2024

Enrollment Period

8 months

First QC Date

September 27, 2018

Last Update Submit

March 19, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

SuicidalityNeuromodulationTranscranial magnetic stimulationDepressionIntermittent theta burst stimulation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Change in the neural network underlying Explicit Suicidal Cognition (ESC) as measured by resting state functional connectivity changes in subgenual anterior cingulate (sgACC) and the default mode network (DMN).

    We will assess resting state functional connectivity between sgACC and the DMN and within the DMN using magnetic resonance imaging.

    At baseline (day 0) and at post-inpatient treatment completion (day 2-7)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Change in the neural network underlying Implicit Suicidal Cognition (ISC) as measured by resting state functional connectivity changes in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).

    At baseline (day 0) and at post-inpatient treatment completion (day 2-7)

Other Outcomes (1)

  • Change in the neural networks underlying depression, hopelessness and anhedonia as measured by resting state functional connectivity changes of sgACC and medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC).

    At baseline (day 0) and at post-inpatient treatment completion (day 2-7)

Study Arms (2)

SAINT stimulation

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Active SAINT stimulation will be applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)

Device: Active SAINT Stimulation

Sham stimulation

SHAM COMPARATOR

Sham (non-active) stimulation will be applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)

Device: Sham SAINT Stimulation

Interventions

Participants who are randomly assigned to this group will receive active SAINT targeted to the left DLPFC. Stimulation intensity will be standardized at 90% of resting motor threshold (adjusted for cortical depth). Stimulation will be delivered using the Magventure Magpro X100 TMS system with the Cool-B65 A/P coil.

SAINT stimulation

Participants who are randomly assigned to this group will receive sham stimulation targeted to the left DLPFC. Sham stimulation will be delivered using the Magventure Magpro X100 TMS system with the Cool-B65 A/P coil.

Sham stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 75 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Adults of all genders between the ages of 18 and 75 years at the time of screening.
  • Able to read, understand, and provide written, dated informed consent prior to screening.
  • Proficiency in English sufficient to complete questionnaires / follow instructions during fMRI assessments and aiTBS treatments. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures, including availability for the duration of the study, and to communicate with study personnel about adverse events and other clinically important information.
  • Currently diagnosed with either Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and meets criteria for a current Major Depressive Episode (MDE) according to the criteria defined in the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5).
  • Medical records confirming a history of moderate to severe treatment-resistance as defined by a score of 7-14 on the Maudsley Staging Method (MSM).
  • Endorses clinically significant explicit suicidal cognitions (score ≥ 9 on the M-SSI and score ≥ 6 on the BSS self-report) at screening.
  • MADRS score of \>/=20 at screening (visit 1).
  • rTMS/iTBS naive.
  • Access to ongoing psychiatric care before and after completion of the study.
  • Access to clinical rTMS after hospital discharge.
  • In good general health, as evidenced by medical history.
  • For females of reproductive potential: use of highly effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation.
  • Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle considerations:
  • Abstain from becoming pregnant from the screening visit (Visit 1) until after the final study visit (Visit 9).
  • Abstain from caffeine- or xanthine-containing products (e.g., coffee, tea, cola drinks, and chocolate) for 3 hours before the start of each dosing session until after the final TMS session.
  • +2 more criteria

You may not qualify if:

  • Females who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the course of the study or any female that is breastfeeding
  • The presence or diagnosis of prominent anxiety disorder, personality disorder, or dysthymia in which in the Investigator's opinion is predominant to MDD
  • Depressed mood/dysphoria as a result of an illness other than MDD (e.g. gender dysphoria)
  • Current severe insomnia (must sleep a minimum of 5 hours each night before stimulation)
  • Current mania or psychosis
  • Bipolar Affective Disorder I and primary psychotic disorders.
  • Autism Spectrum disorder or Intellectual Disability
  • A diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Current moderate or severe substance use disorder or demonstrating signs of acute substance withdrawal.
  • Urine screening test positive for illicit substances.
  • Any history of ECT (greater than 8 sessions) without meeting responder criteria
  • No recent (during the current depressive episode) or concurrent use of a rapid acting antidepressant agent (i.e., ketamine or a course of ECT).
  • History of significant neurologic disease, including dementia, Parkinson's or Huntington's disease, brain tumor, unexpected seizure/epilepsy disorder, subdural hematoma, multiple sclerosis, or history of significant head trauma.
  • Untreated or insufficiently treated endocrine disorder.
  • Contraindications to receiving rTMS (e.g., metal in head, history of seizure, known brain lesion)
  • +5 more criteria

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (4)

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, United States

Location

Weill Cornell Medicine

Manhattan, New York, 10021, United States

Location

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

Location

University of Texas, Austin

Austin, Texas, 78712, United States

Location

Related Publications (14)

  • George MS, Lisanby SH, Avery D, McDonald WM, Durkalski V, Pavlicova M, Anderson B, Nahas Z, Bulow P, Zarkowski P, Holtzheimer PE 3rd, Schwartz T, Sackeim HA. Daily left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for major depressive disorder: a sham-controlled randomized trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2010 May;67(5):507-16. doi: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.46.

    PMID: 20439832BACKGROUND
  • George MS, Wassermann EM, Williams WA, Callahan A, Ketter TA, Basser P, Hallett M, Post RM. Daily repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) improves mood in depression. Neuroreport. 1995 Oct 2;6(14):1853-6. doi: 10.1097/00001756-199510020-00008.

    PMID: 8547583BACKGROUND
  • Pascual-Leone A, Rubio B, Pallardo F, Catala MD. Rapid-rate transcranial magnetic stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in drug-resistant depression. Lancet. 1996 Jul 27;348(9022):233-7. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(96)01219-6.

    PMID: 8684201BACKGROUND
  • Abdallah CG, Averill LA, Collins KA, Geha P, Schwartz J, Averill C, DeWilde KE, Wong E, Anticevic A, Tang CY, Iosifescu DV, Charney DS, Murrough JW. Ketamine Treatment and Global Brain Connectivity in Major Depression. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017 May;42(6):1210-1219. doi: 10.1038/npp.2016.186. Epub 2016 Sep 8.

    PMID: 27604566BACKGROUND
  • Liston C, Chen AC, Zebley BD, Drysdale AT, Gordon R, Leuchter B, Voss HU, Casey BJ, Etkin A, Dubin MJ. Default mode network mechanisms of transcranial magnetic stimulation in depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Oct 1;76(7):517-26. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.01.023. Epub 2014 Feb 5.

    PMID: 24629537BACKGROUND
  • Green KL, Brown GK, Jager-Hyman S, Cha J, Steer RA, Beck AT. The Predictive Validity of the Beck Depression Inventory Suicide Item. J Clin Psychiatry. 2015 Dec;76(12):1683-6. doi: 10.4088/JCP.14m09391.

    PMID: 26717528BACKGROUND
  • Ballard ED, Reed JL, Szczepanik J, Evans JW, Yarrington JS, Dickstein DP, Nock MK, Nugent AC, Zarate CA Jr. Functional Imaging of the Implicit Association of the Self With Life and Death. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2019 Dec;49(6):1600-1608. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12543. Epub 2019 Feb 13.

    PMID: 30761601BACKGROUND
  • Tello N, Harika-Germaneau G, Serra W, Jaafari N, Chatard A. Forecasting a Fatal Decision: Direct Replication of the Predictive Validity of the Suicide-Implicit Association Test. Psychol Sci. 2020 Jan;31(1):65-74. doi: 10.1177/0956797619893062. Epub 2019 Dec 11.

    PMID: 31825760BACKGROUND
  • Light SN, Bieliauskas LA, Taylor SF. Measuring change in anhedonia using the "Happy Faces" task pre- to post-repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment to left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): relation to empathic happiness. Transl Psychiatry. 2019 Sep 3;9(1):217. doi: 10.1038/s41398-019-0549-8.

    PMID: 31481688BACKGROUND
  • Baeken C, Duprat R, Wu GR, De Raedt R, van Heeringen K. Subgenual Anterior Cingulate-Medial Orbitofrontal Functional Connectivity in Medication-Resistant Major Depression: A Neurobiological Marker for Accelerated Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Treatment? Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2017 Oct;2(7):556-565. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 20.

    PMID: 29560909BACKGROUND
  • Downar J, Geraci J, Salomons TV, Dunlop K, Wheeler S, McAndrews MP, Bakker N, Blumberger DM, Daskalakis ZJ, Kennedy SH, Flint AJ, Giacobbe P. Anhedonia and reward-circuit connectivity distinguish nonresponders from responders to dorsomedial prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in major depression. Biol Psychiatry. 2014 Aug 1;76(3):176-85. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.10.026. Epub 2013 Nov 28.

    PMID: 24388670BACKGROUND
  • Duprat R, De Raedt R, Wu GR, Baeken C. Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation Increases Reward Responsiveness in Individuals with Higher Hedonic Capacity. Front Hum Neurosci. 2016 Jun 16;10:294. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00294. eCollection 2016.

    PMID: 27378888BACKGROUND
  • Schmaal L, van Harmelen AL, Chatzi V, Lippard ETC, Toenders YJ, Averill LA, Mazure CM, Blumberg HP. Imaging suicidal thoughts and behaviors: a comprehensive review of 2 decades of neuroimaging studies. Mol Psychiatry. 2020 Feb;25(2):408-427. doi: 10.1038/s41380-019-0587-x. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

    PMID: 31787757BACKGROUND
  • Gartner M, Aust S, Bajbouj M, Fan Y, Wingenfeld K, Otte C, Heuser-Collier I, Boker H, Hattenschwiler J, Seifritz E, Grimm S, Scheidegger M. Functional connectivity between prefrontal cortex and subgenual cingulate predicts antidepressant effects of ketamine. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019 Apr;29(4):501-508. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.02.008. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

    PMID: 30819549BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depressive Disorder, MajorSuicidal IdeationDepression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Depressive DisorderMood DisordersMental DisordersSuicideSelf-Injurious BehaviorBehavioral SymptomsBehavior

Study Officials

  • Brandon Bentzley, MD

    Magnus Medical

    STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 2
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: Patients will receive either active or sham stimulation to the DLPFC. Patients will be randomized to either condition with a 50:50 chance.
Sponsor Type
INDUSTRY
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

September 27, 2018

First Posted

October 2, 2018

Study Start

June 30, 2024

Primary Completion

March 6, 2025

Study Completion

March 6, 2025

Last Updated

March 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-10

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations