ArticleBMJ open2022
Protocol for a prospective open-label clinical trial to investigate the utility of concurrent TBS/fNIRS for antidepressant treatment optimisation.
Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04526002 (The Utility of Concurrent TBS/fNIRS for Antidepressant Treatment Optimization), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Utility of Concurrent TBS/fNIRS for Antidepressant Treatment Optimization
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the predictive power of iTBS induced prefrontal excitability using concurrent TBS/fNIRS.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of prefrontal intermittent theta-burst stimulation-evoked hemodynamic responses in major depressive disorder.Translational psychiatry · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionRepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with theta burst stimulation (i.e. TBS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is an innovative treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, fewer than 50% of patients show sufficient response to this treatment; markers for response prediction are urgently needed. Research shows considerable individual variability in the brain responses to rTMS. However, whether differences in individual DLPFC modulation by rTMS can be used as a predictive marker for treatment response remains to be investigated. Here, we present a research programme that will exploit the combination of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) with brain stimulation. Concurrent TBS/fNIRS will allow us to systematically investigate TBS-induced modulation of blood oxygenation as a proxy for induced brain activity changes. The findings from this study will (1) elucidate the immediate effects of excitatory and inhibitory TBS on prefrontal activity in TBS treatment-naïve patients with MDD and (2) validate the potential utility of TBS-induced brain modulation at baseline for the prediction of antidepressant response to 4 weeks of daily TBS treatment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Open-label, parallel-group experiment consisting of two parts. In part 1, 70 patients and 37 healthy controls will be subjected to concurrent TBS/fNIRS. Intermittent TBS (iTBS) and continuous TBS (cTBS) will be applied on the left and right DLPFC, respectively. fNIRS data will be acquired before, during and several minutes after stimulation. In part 2, patients who participated in part 1 will receive a 4 week iTBS treatment of the left DLPFC, performed daily for 5 days per week. Psychometric evaluation will be performed periodically and at 1 month treatment follow-up. Statistical analysis will include a conventional, as well as a machine learning approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board. Findings will be disseminated through scientific journals, conferences and university courses. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04526002.
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