Research Center: Stanford University School of Medicine
Location: 401 Quarry Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304
IRB Committee: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Stanford Institutional Review Board

About the Study

Are your antidepressants not working? Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is shown to affect the individual as well as society. Unfortunately, current treatment strategies are relatively slow to work and ineffective for some people. Improved treatments that are both effective and quick-acting will greatly improve the treatment process of people with depression.

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine are trying to understand the causes of treatment-resistant depression. By doing this, a new potential effective treatment may be developed. Stanford researchers have recently developed a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that is personalized, fast, and safe and results in recovery in 90% of individuals with hard to treat depression with just 5 days of treatment. Through this research study, a new treatment option may be available for those who suffer from depression. 

Does this interest you? See if you’re eligible by taking the online questionnaire!

Why Participate? 

• Participants may receive a new potential treatment for depression at no cost.
• Participants may experience improvements to depression symptoms, especially those with treatment-resistant or hard to treat depression. 
• Participants will be contributing valuable information that may benefit those with depression in the future.
• Participants will be compensated for participating in this study. 
• Participants will be helping to advance mental health treatment research.

Your Rights

• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time.
• Any information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.
• Qualified health professionals will monitor your health as it relates to the study.

Who Can Participate?

• Men and women aged 22-65 years old who are diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder 
• Must be physically healthy
• Must not have received Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as treatment 
• Must have a history of unsatisfactory relief with antidepressant medications
• Must be able to attend 9 study visits (with 1 visit done through remote means) at the research site over approximately 2.5 weeks 

Key Study Details 

The study team will explain the research study in its entirety but some details are:

• This study will use functional MRIs and other tools to observe how the brain changes with treatment.
• If this study is successful, this potential treatment would help support efforts to obtain FDA approval and insurance coverage for this treatment, which would make it available to a much wider population. 
• This study will contribute to improving treatments of depression by helping researchers better understand antidepressant treatment responses. 

About the Research Center:

Stanford University
Fueled by optimism, ingenuity, and a sense of responsibility, Stanford seeks to accelerate its purposeful impact in the world. Their vision amplifies Stanford’s contributions through a new model for research universities: accelerating the creation and application of knowledge to tackle the world’s great problems, anchoring research and education in ethics and civic responsibility, and promoting access and inclusion.

Please note:

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers would like to assure the participants that ensuring their and the study staff’s safety is of utmost importance.