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Study on iTBS Regulating the Reward Circuit Function to Improve Anhedonia in Depression (iTMMDD)

8. září 2026 aktualizováno: Guo Wenbin

Study on the Efficacy of iTBS Targeting NAc and sgACC in Regulating the Reward Circuit Function to Improve Anhedonia in Depression

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the proposed intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) protocol can effectively improve anhedonia symptoms in depressed patients. The stimulation targets in our protocol include (1) dual-target stimulation at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). (2) single-target stimulation at the left DLPFC.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Whether iTBS of dual-target stimulation (left DLPFC and OFC) can improve the symptoms of anhedonia and better than single-target stimulation at the left DLPFC?
  • Whether iTBS of the dual targets of left DLPFC and OFC can improve the symptoms of anhedonia by correcting the abnormal functional connectivity of DLPFC-NAc and OFC-sgACC, regulating the functional abnormalities of NAc and sgACC, and indirectly repairing the overall dysfunction of the reward circuit.
  • Researchers will compare dual-target stimulation to single-target stimulation and sham dual-target stimulation (a dedicated sham coil is utilized which produces an identical audible click and physical sensation) to see if the proposed iTBS protocol works to treat anhedonia.

Participants will:

  • Take 6 sessions of dual-target iTBS or single-target iTBS every day, for 5 consecutive days.
  • Visit our hospital at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 8weeks after the iTBS treatment completion, for clinical evaluation and brain image examination.

Přehled studie

Postavení

Nábor

Podmínky

Intervence / Léčba

Detailní popis

Anhedonia, defined as the diminished capacity to experience pleasure, is a core symptom of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Patients with anhedonia exhibit a pervasive loss of interest or pleasure in all or almost all previously enjoyable activities, which frequently leads to a profound reduction in the desire to engage in rewarding behaviors. Previous studies have reported that anhedonia occurs in 37% to 72% of depressed individuals. Patients with depression accompanied by anhedonia tend to respond poorly to medication and psychotherapy but show relatively better responses to conventional physical treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Research has shown that improving anhedonia significantly enhances social functioning in depressed patients. Therefore, more effective treatments targeting anhedonia are needed. Achieving breakthroughs in therapeutic approaches and understanding their underlying mechanisms will contribute substantially to progress in this field.

Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) utilizes a stimulation pattern that closely mimics the natural firing frequencies of cerebral neurons. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the clinical efficacy of intermittent TBS (iTBS) in alleviating depressive symptoms. Thus, this study aims to investigate and evaluate whether the proposed iTBS protocol can effectively improve anhedonia symptoms in depressed patients by regulating functional abnormalities.

The stimulation targets in our protocol include (1) dual-target stimulation at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). (2) single-target stimulation at the left DLPFC.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  1. Whether iTBS of dual-target stimulation (left DLPFC and OFC) can improve the symptoms of anhedonia and better than single-target stimulation?
  2. Whether iTBS of the dual targets of left DLPFC and OFC can improve the anhedonia symptom by correcting the abnormal functional connectivity of DLPFC-NAc and OFC-sgACC, regulating the functional abnormalities of NAc and sgACC, and indirectly repairing the overall dysfunction of the reward circuit?

Typ studie

Intervenční

Zápis (Odhadovaný)

60

Fáze

  • Nelze použít

Kontakty a umístění

Tato část poskytuje kontaktní údaje pro ty, kteří studii provádějí, a informace o tom, kde se tato studie provádí.

Studijní kontakt

Studijní místa

  • Čína
    • Hunan
      • Changsha, Hunan, Čína, 410000
        • Nábor
        • The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
        • Kontakt:

Kritéria účasti

Výzkumníci hledají lidi, kteří odpovídají určitému popisu, kterému se říká kritéria způsobilosti. Některé příklady těchto kritérií jsou celkový zdravotní stav osoby nebo předchozí léčba.

Kritéria způsobilosti

Věk způsobilý ke studiu

  • Dospělý

Přijímá zdravé dobrovolníky

Ne

Popis

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Aged 18-45 years, and right-handed;
  2. Diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) by at least two qualified psychiatrists, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), with a Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score ≥ 20 or a 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) score ≥ 17;
  3. Evaluated by a psychiatrist as having prominent anhedonia, and meeting the cutoff criteria on two self-report anhedonia scales, including a Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, Chinese version (SHAPS-C) score ≥ 20, or a Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale, Chinese version (TEPS-C) score ≤ 76;
  4. Medication type and dosage remained unchanged for at least 4 weeks prior to treatment initiation and throughout the study period;
  5. MADRS item 10 score ≤ 4.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. A history of epilepsy, seizures, stroke, or other serious organic brain diseases;
  2. Presence of severe infectious diseases, malignant tumors, or other major unstable medical conditions;
  3. Intellectual disability or developmental delay, presence of psychotic symptoms, or meeting the diagnostic criteria for other psychiatric disorders;
  4. A history of substance abuse or psychoactive substance use;
  5. Presence of intracranial implants (e.g., aneurysm clips, shunts, stimulators, cochlear implants, or electrodes), or any other metallic objects in or near the head that cannot be safely removed (excluding dental fillings);
  6. Contraindications to MRI or structural intracranial abnormalities detected on MRI;
  7. Pregnant or breastfeeding women;
  8. Receipt of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) within the past 6 months, or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) within the past 3 months;
  9. Current daily use of lorazepam > 2 mg (or an equivalent dose), or use of antiepileptic drugs at any dose;
  10. Presence of strong suicidal ideation, or a MADRS item 10 score > 4.

Studijní plán

Tato část poskytuje podrobnosti o studijním plánu, včetně toho, jak je studie navržena a co studie měří.

Jak je studie koncipována?

Detaily designu

  • Primární účel: Léčba
  • Přidělení: Randomizované
  • Intervenční model: Paralelní přiřazení
  • Maskování: Žádné (otevřený štítek)

Zbraně a zásahy

Skupina účastníků / Arm
Intervence / Léčba
Experimentální: Left DLPFC + OFC iTBS Group

iTBS Parameter Specifications: 60 cycles of 10 bursts of three pulses at 50 Hz were delivered in 2-second trains (5 Hz) with an 8-second intertrain interval. The total duration of a single session is 10 minutes, comprising 60 trains and yielding a total of 1,800 pulses per session.

Treatment Protocol for Left DLPFC+OFC iTBS Group:

Stimulations are first delivered to the left DLPFC-NAc functional region using the specified iTBS parameters (1,800 pulses per session), performed 3 sessions daily with a 50-minute interval between sessions. Subsequently, stimulation was applied to the left OFC-sgACC functional region with the identical parameters (1,800 pulses per session), also performed 3 sessions daily with a 50-minute interval. This yields a cumulative total of 10,800 pulses over 5 consecutive days, for a total of 54,000 pulses.
Přístroj: Left DLPFC + OFC iTBS
iTBS Parameter Specifications: 60 cycles of 10 bursts of three pulses at 50 Hz were delivered in 2-second trains (5 Hz) with an 8-second intertrain interval. The total duration of a single session is 10 minutes, comprising 60 trains and yielding a total of 1,800 pulses per session. For the Left DLPFC + OFC iTBS Group, stimulation is first delivered to the left DLPFC-NAc functional region using the specified iTBS parameters (1,800 pulses per session), performed 3 sessions daily with a 50-minute interval between sessions. Subsequently, stimulation is applied to the left OFC-sgACC functional region with the identical parameters (1,800 pulses per session), also performed 3 sessions daily with a 50-minute interval. This yields a cumulative total of 10,800 pulses over 5 consecutive days, for a total of 54,000 pulses.
Ostatní jména:
  • přerušovaná stimulace theta-burst (iTBS)
Experimentální: Left DLPFC iTBS Group

iTBS Parameter Specifications: 60 cycles of 10 bursts of three pulses at 50 Hz were delivered in 2-second trains (5 Hz) with an 8-second intertrain interval. The total duration of a single session is 10 minutes, comprising 60 trains and yielding a total of 1,800 pulses per session.

Treatment Protocol for Left DLPFC iTBS Group:

For Group B, stimulations are delivered solely to the left DLPFC-NAc functional region using the specified iTBS parameters, performed 6 sessions daily with a 50-minute interval between sessions. This yields a cumulative total of 10,800 pulses over 5 consecutive days, for a total of 54,000 pulses.
Přístroj: Left DLPFC iTBS
iTBS Parameter Specifications: 60 cycles of 10 bursts of three pulses at 50 Hz were delivered in 2-second trains (5 Hz) with an 8-second intertrain interval. The total duration of a single session is 10 minutes, comprising 60 trains and yielding a total of 1,800 pulses per session. For the left DLPFC iTBS Group, stimulation is delivered solely to the left DLPFC-NAc functional region using the specified iTBS parameters, with 6 sessions performed daily, each with a 50-minute interval between sessions. This yields a cumulative total of 10,800 pulses over 5 consecutive days, for a total of 54,000 pulses.
Ostatní jména:
  • přerušovaná stimulace výbuchem theta

Co je měření studie?

Primární výstupní opatření

Měření výsledku
Popis opatření
Časové okno
Total score of Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)
Časové okno: *Baseline; * Day 2- Day 6 (every treatment day); *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
The Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores will be evaluated before and after treatment. Total score: 0-60. A higher score means worse depressive symptoms.
*Baseline; * Day 2- Day 6 (every treatment day); *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Remission Rate of Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores
Časové okno: * Day 2- Day 6 (every treatment day); *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
The proportion of patients in each group achieving remission. Remission is defined as a MADRS score < 11 points.
* Day 2- Day 6 (every treatment day); *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Response Rate of Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores
Časové okno: * Day 2- Day 6 (every treatment day); *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
The percentage change in MADRS scores from baseline, calculated as [(MADRSpre - MADRSpost) / MADRSpre] * 100%.
* Day 2- Day 6 (every treatment day); *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.

Sekundární výstupní opatření

Měření výsledku
Popis opatření
Časové okno
Total score of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale - Chinese Version (TEPS-C)
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Total score: 20-120. The lower score means worse anhedonia.
*Baseline; *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Remission rate of Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale - Chinese Version (TEPS-C) score
Časové okno: *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Remission means the TEPS-C score > 76. The TEPS-C remission rate is the proportion of patients in each group whose TEPS-C scores increased to >76 after treatment.
*Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.

Další výstupní opatření

Měření výsledku
Popis opatření
Časové okno
Total score of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17)
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Total score: 0-52. A higher score means worse depressive symptoms.
*Baseline; *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Total scores of the Chinese version of the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS-C) score
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Total score: 14-56. A higher score means worse anhedonia.
*Baseline; *Day 6; *1 week post-treatment; *4 weeks post-treatment; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Brain MRI
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6, up to 1day delay; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Resting-state magnetic resonance imaging scans will be conducted. Resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) changes before and after treatment will be assessed by fMRI. And its potential correlation with clinical symptom changes will be further explored.
*Baseline; *Day 6, up to 1day delay; *8 weeks post-treatment.
Questionnaire: The Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI) scores
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6; * 1 week post-treatment; * 4 weeks post-treatment; * 8 weeks post-treatment.
The Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSI) scores will be evaluated before and after treatment. Total score: 0-38. Higher scores indicate greater severity of suicidal ideation.
*Baseline; *Day 6; * 1 week post-treatment; * 4 weeks post-treatment; * 8 weeks post-treatment.
Total Score of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status Update (RBANS)
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6; * 8 weeks post-treatment.
The RBANS is an instrument used to assess cognitive functioning. The Total Scale Score will be evaluated. The standard score range is typically 40 to 160 (index score based). A higher score indicates better cognitive performance.
*Baseline; *Day 6; * 8 weeks post-treatment.
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) Perseverative Errors scores
Časové okno: *Baseline; *Day 6; *8 weeks post-treatment.
The WCST is an assessment of executive function and cognitive flexibility. This measure evaluates the number of perseverative errors, which occur when a participant continues to apply a previous sorting rule after the rule has changed. For this 48-card version, the theoretical score ranges from 0 to 48. A higher score indicates worse cognitive flexibility and greater executive dysfunction.
*Baseline; *Day 6; *8 weeks post-treatment.

Spolupracovníci a vyšetřovatelé

Zde najdete lidi a organizace zapojené do této studie.

Sponzor

Guo Wenbin

Vyšetřovatelé

  • Vrchní vyšetřovatel: Wenbin Guo, PhD, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

Termíny studijních záznamů

Tato data sledují průběh záznamů studie a předkládání souhrnných výsledků na ClinicalTrials.gov. Záznamy ze studií a hlášené výsledky jsou před zveřejněním na veřejné webové stránce přezkoumány Národní lékařskou knihovnou (NLM), aby se ujistily, že splňují specifické standardy kontroly kvality.

Hlavní termíny studia

Začátek studia (Aktuální)

19. května 2026

Primární dokončení (Odhadovaný)

3. července 2027

Dokončení studie (Odhadovaný)

3. července 2027

Termíny zápisu do studia

První předloženo

24. května 2026

První předloženo, které splnilo kritéria kontroly kvality

8. září 2026

První zveřejněno (Aktuální)

10. září 2026

Aktualizace studijních záznamů

Poslední zveřejněná aktualizace (Aktuální)

10. září 2026

Odeslaná poslední aktualizace, která splnila kritéria kontroly kvality

8. září 2026

Naposledy ověřeno

1. září 2026

Více informací

Termíny související s touto studií

Další relevantní podmínky MeSH

Další identifikační čísla studie

  • LYG20260013
  • ChiCTR2600125718 (Identifikátor registru: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry)

Plán pro data jednotlivých účastníků (IPD)

Plánujete sdílet data jednotlivých účastníků (IPD)?

NE

Popis plánu IPD

Individual participant data will not be shared to ensure strict confidentiality and protect participant privacy.

Informace o lécích a zařízeních, studijní dokumenty

Studuje lékový produkt regulovaný americkým FDA

Ne

Studuje produkt zařízení regulovaný americkým úřadem FDA

Ne

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