RecruitingPhase 4

Biomarker-Guided Antidepressant Selection

Biomarker-Guided Antidepressant Selection for Treatment-Resistant Depression

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This early study tests whether brain scans and other health information can help choose between two depression treatments: rTMS, which uses magnets to stimulate the brain, and ketamine, a fast-acting medicine. It is for adults whose depression did not improve with at least one standard treatment, or who started and then stopped one. The study also checks whether this approach is practical and acceptable to patients.

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Common treatments like antidepressant medications and talk therapy work well for some people, but many others do not improve, even after trying multiple treatments. This study will investigate two alternative treatment options for people whose depression has not responded to standard treatments: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, and ketamine, a fast-acting medication. It can be difficult to decide between these interventions in clinical practice, and selecting between them often comes down to patient preference and trial and error. This study is working to optimize the selection approach: using biological and behavioral markers to match each person to identify biomarkers that may predict response to rTMS or ketamine. Investigators believe that differences in how individuals respond to rTMS versus ketamine are partly explained by differences in how their brains are organized, and that these differences can be measured and used to guide intervention decisions. This is an early-stage pilot study designed to test whether this biomarker-based approach is practical and acceptable to patients. Investigators will evaluate how well a combination of brain imaging and clinical data can predict, at the individual level, who is likely to respond to rTMS versus ketamine. The ultimate goal is to develop a reliable, scalable tool that helps clinicians make faster and more informed intervention decisions, reducing the time people with treatment-resistant depression spend searching for an antidepressant that works.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Be age 18–70 and have major depression with symptoms that are at least moderate.
  • Have tried at least one standard depression treatment that did not work, or started and then stopped one, such as because of side effects.
  • Be off antidepressants, or have taken the same dose for at least 1 month before screening. Plan to stay off them or keep that dose during the study.
  • Take only medicines that the study clinician judges safe for this study.
  • Have access to mental health care before, during, and after the study.
  • If you are female and can become pregnant, agree to use effective birth control for at least 1 month before screening and during the study.
  • Know enough English to complete study tests and follow instructions.
  • Sign and date a consent form, agree to all study steps, and be available for the whole study.

Who can't join

  • Be at immediate risk of suicide, or have a main mental health diagnosis other than major depression. Depression with psychosis, such as seeing or hearing things that are not there, also rules out joining.
  • Have epilepsy, a seizure history, or a condition or medicine that raises seizure risk with brain stimulation.
  • Have a significant substance use disorder with active misuse in the past 6 months, or any past misuse of PCP or ketamine.
  • Have a serious brain or nerve condition that may cause depression symptoms, such as a brain injury, stroke, or Parkinson’s disease.
  • Have a condition that makes ketamine unsafe, such as certain liver test results, a recent heart attack, certain heart problems, or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
  • Be unable to safely have an MRI brain scan, including because of certain metal objects, implants, or permanent makeup that could heat up.
  • Be pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy during the study.
  • Have abnormal blood tests that may help explain depression symptoms, or any condition that the study team thinks could prevent safe participation or completion.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form 2. Adults of all genders aged 18-70 at the time of screening 3. Diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (by DSM-5 criteria) 4. Depressive symptoms of at least moderate severity (GRID HDRS-17 score \>= 14 or as determined by a study clinician) 5. Failed at least 1 prior trial of standard first-line treatment for MDD per the modified Antidepressant Treatment History form, the Maudsley Staging Method, and APA Practice Guidelines (e.g., SSRI, SNRI, CBT) OR initiated and discontinued a trial of a first-line treatment for MDD (e.g. could not tolerate side effects, etc.) 6. Not currently taking antidepressants OR on a stable dose of antidepressant for at least 1month prior to screening and plans to remain off antidepressants OR on this stable dose for the duration of participation 7. Current medication regimen is compatible with safe participation in the trial in the assessment of a study clinician 8. Access to psychiatric care before, during, and after completion of the study 9. For females of reproductive potential: agreement to use effective contraception for at least 1 month prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation 10. Proficiency in English sufficient to complete assessments and follow study procedure instructions 11. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study Exclusion Criteria: 1. Imminent risk of suicide 2. Presence of primary psychiatric diagnosis other than MDD (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, MDD with psychotic features, primary psychotic illness, bipolar I or II disorder) 3. History of epilepsy or a history of seizures that would influence the participant's risk for TMS-evoked seizures; history of any condition / concurrent medication that could notably lower seizure threshold in the estimation of a study clinician 4. Met criteria for any clinically significant substance use disorder (by DSM-V criteria) with active substance misuse in the 6 months prior to screening 5. Lifetime history of PCP/ketamine abuse 6. History or presence of significant neurological disorder that may be contributing to current depressive symptoms in the judgment of a study clinician (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease or other movement disorder, epilepsy) 7. Presence of medical contraindications to ketamine, including liver function tests \> 2.5x normal limit, recent myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure \> stage 2, angina pectoris, clinically significant bradycardia or tachycardia at the baseline assessment, or uncontrolled hypertension 8. MRI contraindication, including presence of ferromagnetic foreign metal bodies or implants, implanted or conductive ferromagnetic objects in or near the head (e.g., stents, deep brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, aneurysm coils, ocular implants, cochlear implants), and ferromagnetic permanent make-up that may undergo heating in an MRI scanner 9. Individuals who are nursing, pregnant, or contemplating pregnancy within the length of study participation 10. Abnormal bloodwork that may be contributing to depressive symptoms in the estimation of a study clinician (e.g. indicators of clinically significant hypothyroidism, kidney failure, liver failure, etc.) 11. History or presence of any disorder or medical condition that, in the opinion of the study team, may compromise, interfere, or limit the individual's ability to complete the intervention or study procedures

Study sites (1)

NY