Effect of Individualized Precise TMS on Emotional Blunting in Depression and Its Brain Imaging Mechanism

A study testing Transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with Depression, run by Xijing Hospital at 1 site in China.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Trial summary

This study aims to explore and investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of individualized localization of transcranial magnetic stimulation on emotional blunting of depression, improve the understanding of the mechanism of emotional blunting of depression, order to provide new treatment methods and better… Read more about this study

Who is it for?: Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for: Depression
What is being tested?: Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Type of treatment: Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?: Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people: 80 participants
Where: 1 siteChina
Study dates: 1 Oct 2022to 30 Nov 2024
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 18 to 65 years
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

(1) Outpatients of all genders, aged ≥18 years and ≤65 years, right-handed, admitted to the psychosomatic Department of Xijing Hospital;
In accordance with the diagnostic criteria for the depressive disorder of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V)).
Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS): total MADRS score ≥12;
The total score of the Oxford Depression Questionnaire (ODQ) at baseline was ≥50, and the answer to the standardized screening question of emotional blunting was "yes";
Received at least 6 weeks of monotherapy with an SSRI or SNRI prior to enrollment;
Subjects who can understand and are willing to strictly follow the clinical trial protocol to complete this study and sign informed consent.

Who cannot join

(1) Have a history of substance abuse within 6 months before the start of the study;
Patients with bipolar disorder and depression caused by other mental diseases (such as psychoactive substances and non-dependent substances);
Have a history of somatic severe diseases or diseases that may affect the central nervous system (such as tumors, syphilis, etc.);
Have neurological diseases or risk of seizures, such as previous brain diseases, head trauma, alcoholism, EEG abnormalities, MRI evidence of abnormal brain structure, or family history of epilepsy;
There are contraindications to MRI scanning or transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment, such as metal or electronic instruments (intracranial metal foreign bodies, cochlear implants, cardiac pacemakers, stents, and other metal foreign bodies);
Have obvious suicide risk, or have actual suicide behavior within 6 months before the start of the study;
Pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning pregnancy during the trial;
Other conditions that are not suitable for the study object in the researcher's judgment.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

China1 site

XijingH
Xi'an, Shannxi, 710032

Other trials in China

About this study

Official title: Study on the Effect and Brain Influence Mechanism of Individualized Precise Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Based on Image Analysis on Emotional Blunting in Depression

Read the detailed description

Depression is a common mental illness. The traditional treatment is medication, but many patients do not respond well to medication and have side effects such as emotional blunting. emotional blunting is a numbness to both positive and negative emotions. It is estimated that about 40% to 60% of depressed patients who use serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or 5-HT and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have varying degrees of affective retardation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe and non-invasive method for the treatment of depression. Its clinical efficacy is related to the accuracy of the stimulation target. How to carry out individualized accurate positioning is of great significance for improving the therapeutic effect.

Conditions: Depression
Being tested: Transcranial magnetic stimulation
Keywords: emotional blunting, transcranial magnetic stimulation
Medical subject headings: Depression

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Transcranial magnetic stimulationDevice
Also called SSRIs/SNRIs
The stimulation sites of the true TMS group were mPFC-amygdala functional junction and SSRIs/SNRIs treatment, while the sham TMS group was treated with reversed magnetic head sham stimulation and SSRIs/SNRIs treatment.

Study groups in NCT05555940
Study group	Role	What they receive
TMS true stimulation group	Experimental	Transcranial magnetic stimulation and medication. The stimulation parameters were 10Hz frequency and 120%MT intensity. 50 treatment sequences were given each time, with 60 stimulation times for each sequence, the sequence interval was 30 seconds, and a total of 3000 stimulation times for each treatment. The patients were treated once a day for 15 days. Medical treatment is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs). Receives: Device: Transcranial magnetic stimulation
TMS sham stimulation group	Sham comparator	Sham stimulation and medication. The pseudo-stimulation method was to flip the magnetic head at 90 degrees with the scalp, The stimulation parameters were 10Hz frequency and 120%MT intensity. 50 treatment sequences were given each time, with 60 stimulation times for each sequence, the sequence interval was 30 seconds, and a total of 3000 stimulation times for each treatment. The patients were treated once a day for 15 days. Medical treatment is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs). Receives: Device: Transcranial magnetic stimulation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Changes from Baseline on Oxford Depression Questionnaire scores during treatment and at each follow-up point.
The Oxford Depression Questionnaire(ODQ) is a relatively new tool for assessing emotional retardation, a self-rating scale.It includes three sections and 26 questions, focusing on the emotional experience of patients in the past week.Each question is scored on a 5-point scale from 1 (disagree) to 5 (agree). And summarized into a score for each dimension and a total score (total score range: 26-130). The higher the value on ODQ, the higher the level of emotional blunting.
Measured: At baseline, at the end of treatment on day 7, at the end of treatment on day 15, 2 weeks after treatment, 4 weeks after treatment, and 8 weeks after treatment

Secondary outcomes (2)

Changes from Baseline on Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores or other clinical scales during treatment and at each follow-up point.
There are 10 items in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale（MADRS）, and each item is divided into 6 levels according to the identity level, with a score of 0-6 points. The total score of patients is 0-60. The higher the score of patients, the more severe the depression.
Measured: At baseline,at the end of treatment on day 7, at the end of treatment on day 15, 2 weeks after treatment, 4 weeks after treatment, and 8 weeks after treatment
Changes of MRI from baseline to the end of 15 day treatment period.
Before and after treatment, MRI is performed for each patient to measure the blood oxygen level of each brain region, from which the functional connectivity between brain regions could be statistically obtained, and then the differences of the functional connectivity before and treatment are compared.
Measured: Before treatment, 15 days

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

1 Oct 202230 Nov 2024

First posted27 Sep 2022
Study start1 Oct 2022
Primary completion30 Oct 2024
Study completion30 Nov 2024

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for DepressionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
More trials run by Xijing HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: Double blind
Who is masked: Participant, Investigator
Enrolment: 80 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05555940
Sponsor's protocol ID: XJLL-KY20222175
Status last verified: Jan 2025
First submitted: 13 Sep 2022
Last updated: 23 Apr 2026
Results posted: No
Data monitoring committee: Yes
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No

Publications

Zhang Y, Tang N, Lei L, Lv R, Zhang Y, Liu N, Chen H, Cai M, Wang H. Efficacy of functional magnetic resonance imaging-guided personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (fMRI-rTMS) in depressive patients with emotional blunting: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2024 Feb 21;25(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-07976-3.
PubMed 38383418

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

See locations

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All Depression trials

Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 23 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Study on the Effect and Brain Influence Mechanism of Individualized Precise Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Based on Image Analysis on Emotional Blunting in Depression
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05555940
Acronym / sponsor ID: XJLL-KY20222175
Conditions: Depression
Keywords: emotional blunting, transcranial magnetic stimulation
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 80 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: Xijing HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
Study start: 1 Oct 2022 (actual)
Primary completion: 30 Oct 2024 (actual)
Study completion: 30 Nov 2024 (actual)
First posted: 27 Sep 2022 (actual)
Results: Not posted in the source record

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

Detailed description

Study design

Primary purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Parallel groups
Masking: Double blind (participant, investigator)
Number of arms: 2

Arm	Type	Receives
TMS true stimulation group	Experimental	Device: Transcranial magnetic stimulationTranscranial magnetic stimulation and medication. The stimulation parameters were 10Hz frequency and 120%MT intensity. 50 treatment sequences were given each time, with 60 stimulation times for each sequence, the sequence interval was 30 seconds, and a total of 3000 stimulation times for each treatment. The patients were treated once a day for 15 days. Medical treatment is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs).
TMS sham stimulation group	Sham comparator	Device: Transcranial magnetic stimulationSham stimulation and medication. The pseudo-stimulation method was to flip the magnetic head at 90 degrees with the scalp, The stimulation parameters were 10Hz frequency and 120%MT intensity. 50 treatment sequences were given each time, with 60 stimulation times for each sequence, the sequence interval was 30 seconds, and a total of 3000 stimulation times for each treatment. The patients were treated once a day for 15 days. Medical treatment is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs).

Who may qualify

Ages: 18 to 65 years
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Adult, Older adult

Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)

(1) Outpatients of all genders, aged ≥18 years and ≤65 years, right-handed, admitted to the psychosomatic Department of Xijing Hospital;

Key exclusion criteria (8 listed)

(1) Have a history of substance abuse within 6 months before the start of the study;

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
Transcranial magnetic stimulationAlso: SSRIs/SNRIsThe stimulation sites of the true TMS group were mPFC-amygdala functional junction and SSRIs/SNRIs treatment, while the sham TMS group was treated with reversed magnetic head sham stimulation and SSRIs/SNRIs treatment.	Device	TMS sham stimulation group, TMS true stimulation group

Primary outcome

Changes from Baseline on Oxford Depression Questionnaire scores during treatment and at each follow-up point.
Time frame: At baseline, at the end of treatment on day 7, at the end of treatment on day 15, 2 weeks after treatment, 4 weeks after treatment, and 8 weeks after treatment
The Oxford Depression Questionnaire(ODQ) is a relatively new tool for assessing emotional retardation, a self-rating scale.It includes three sections and 26 questions, focusing on the emotional experience of patients in the past week.Each question is scored on a 5-point scale from 1 (disagree) to 5 (agree). And summarized into a score for each dimension and a total score (total score range: 26-130). The higher the value on ODQ, the higher the level of emotional blunting.

2 secondary outcomes

Changes from Baseline on Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale scores or other clinical scales during treatment and at each follow-up point.
Time frame: At baseline,at the end of treatment on day 7, at the end of treatment on day 15, 2 weeks after treatment, 4 weeks after treatment, and 8 weeks after treatment
Changes of MRI from baseline to the end of 15 day treatment period.
Time frame: Before treatment, 15 days

Results and safety

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 23 Apr 2026.
Derived from this study: PubMed 38383418Zhang Y, Tang N, Lei L, Lv R, Zhang Y, Liu N, Chen H, Cai M, Wang H. Efficacy of functional magnetic resonance imaging-guided personalized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (fMRI-rTMS) in depressive patients with emotional blunting: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2024 Feb 21;25(1):134. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-07976-3.

Related trials for Depression

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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with Depression, run by Xijing Hospital at 1 site in China.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 8 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Apr 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Changes from Baseline on Oxford Depression Questionnaire scores during treatment and at each follow-up point. (time frame: At baseline, at the end of treatment on day 7, at the end of treatment on day 15, 2 weeks after treatment, 4 weeks after treatment, and 8 weeks after treatment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05555940, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Apr 2026.