Loading
Sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation / Depression During Pregnancy / Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation · Interventional Study
ClinicalTrials.gov · August 19, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This is a study registration for a planned double-blind, sham-controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in pregnant and postpartum women with peripartum depression. No results have been posted to the registry; the study is not yet recruiting. The trial design is methodologically sound, but evidence of efficacy and safety cannot be assessed from this registration alone.
Interventional, Randomized, Parallel, Double masking, Treatment purpose. Depression During Pregnancy, Postpartum Depression (PPD), Peripartum Depression; Female; age from 18 Years. Intervention: Active rTMS. Compared with: Sham rTMS — Sham Comparator. n = 60. 2 sites: Switzerland.
This is a study registration for a planned double-blind, sham-controlled trial of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in pregnant and postpartum women with peripartum depression. No results have been posted to the registry; the study is not yet recruiting. The trial design is methodologically sound, but evidence of efficacy and safety cannot be assessed from this registration alone.
Long-term safety and efficacy beyond one month post-treatment are not primary outcomes.
Results from this trial, when available, may help establish whether rTMS is an effective non-pharmacological alternative for peripartum depression, an important consideration in a population where medication exposure carries teratogenic and lactation concerns. However, no clinical guidance can be drawn from this registration record alone.
This is a clinical trial registry record describing a planned study with no results reported; it documents the design and enrollment target for an interventional study in a rare and vulnerable population, but carries no outcome data.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
Results from this trial, when available, may help establish whether rTMS is an effective non-pharmacological alternative for peripartum depression, an important consideration in a population where medication exposure carries teratogenic and lactation concerns. However, no clinical guidance can be drawn from this registration record alone.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
What is missing. This record has no key findings. That is a gap in the analysis, not a judgement about the study.
Registry record from ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07774559). This is a study registration, not published results. Lead sponsor: Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich. Recruitment status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING. Phase: NA. Study type: INTERVENTIONAL. Enrollment: 60 participants (ESTIMATED). Conditions: Depression During Pregnancy, Postpartum Depression (PPD), Peripartum Depression. Interventions: DEVICE: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; DEVICE: Sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Primary outcome measures: Change in depressive symptoms measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) , at baseline and at the end of treatment (up to 10 weeks). Brief summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce depressive symptoms in women who are pregnant or up to 12 months after childbirth and have peripartum depression. rTMS is a non-invasive treatment in which a device placed on the scalp delivers gentle magnetic pulses to a brain area involved in mood regulation. It does not involve medication or anaesthesia. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does active rTMS reduce depressive symptoms more than sham rTMS? * What side effects occur during treatment, and how well is rTMS tolerated? * Are improvements in depressive symptoms still present one month after treatment? Researchers will compare active rTMS with sham rTMS, a treatment designed to feel and sound similar but not to provide effective brain stimulation. Neither participants nor the clinicians assessing depressive symptoms will know which treatment was assigned during the main study phase. Up to 60 women aged 18 years or older who are pregnant or up to 12 months after childbirth and have clinically relevant depressive symptoms may take part. Participants will: * Attend a screening and baseline visit, including questionnaires, EEG and ECG recordings, and collection of small hair and sputum samples to study stress-related hormone levels * Be assigned by chance to receive either active rTMS or sham rTMS * Attend 30 treatment sessions, scheduled flexibly over approximately 1.5 to 10 weeks to accommodate childcare, breastfeeding, fatigue, and medical appointments * Complete questionnaires about mood, wellbeing, quality of life, social support, and treatment expectations before and after treatment * Have safety and side effects checked before each treatment session * Complete a telephone follow-up assessment one month after treatment * Be asked to complete a short questionnaire about their child's development one year after treatment Each treatment visit lasts about 30 minutes, including preparation, treatment, and a short safety check. Infants may be brought to treatment visits when this can be done safely. rTMS is generally well tolerated. Possible temporary side effects include headache, scalp discomfort, facial muscle twitching during stimulation, dizziness, or tiredness. A seizure is a very rare but serious possible risk; therefore, people with epilepsy, certain implants, or other relevant risk factors cannot take part. Participation is voluntary. Participants can pause or stop participation at any time without affecting their usual care. Personal data will be coded and handled confidentially. Women assigned to sham treatment will be offered active rTMS after the blinded study phase, if they wish. The results may help clarify whether rTMS is an effective non-medication treatment option for peripartum depression.
Taken from the source record, never inferred. Follow any of these and new work involving them reaches your briefing.