Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41120157›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Active versus sham transcranial pulsed electromagnetic field headband treatment for major depression: protocol for a double-blinded randomised trial.

Nana Brandborg Sørensen, Ulrik Haahr, Malina Ploug Larsen, Jørgen Hansen, Svend Nyholm, Poul Videbech, Tomas Bohr, Kamilla W Miskowiak, Klaus Martiny, Martin Balslev Jorgensen

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06005103 (Active Versus Sham Transcranial Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Headband Treatment for Major Depression), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT06005103 narecruitingnot on this map

Active Versus Sham Transcranial Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Headband Treatment for Major Depression: a Study Protocol for a Double-blinded Randomized Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorMental Health Centre Copenhagen, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg HospitalRan2024 to 2026Enrolled117ConditionsModerate Depression, Severe Depressive Episode Without Psychotic Symptoms, Recurrent Depressive Disorder, Current Episode Moderate, Recurrent Depressive Disorder, Current Episode Severe Without Psychotic SymptomsArmsTreatment with MoodHeadBand (T-PEMF treatment), Inactive treatment with MoodHeadBand (Placebo)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Nana Brandborg SørensenCopenhagen Affective Disorder Research Center (CADIC), Copenhagen Psychiatric Center, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark nana.brandborg.soerensen@regionh.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-2069-5880
Ulrik HaahrPsychiatry Region Zealand, Region Zealand, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1763-0143
Malina Ploug LarsenCopenhagen Affective Disorder Research Center (CADIC), Copenhagen Psychiatric Center, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0005-9216-5332
Jørgen HansenPsychotherapeutic Unit, CFF4, Copenhagen Psychiatric Center, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Svend NyholmFormer Air Trafic Control Project Manager, Naviair, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-4501-6263
Poul VidebechDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0127-4348
Tomas BohrPhysics Department, Danish Technical University (DTU), Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3620-7276
Kamilla W MiskowiakDepartment of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2572-1384
Klaus MartinyCopenhagen Affective Disorder Research Center (CADIC), Copenhagen Psychiatric Center, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7317-5958
Martin Balslev JorgensenCopenhagen Affective Disorder Research Center (CADIC), Copenhagen Psychiatric Center, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1321-8901

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA substantial number of patients with major depressive disorder experience non-remission despite treatment with psychotherapy and several antidepressant drugs. This has increased the interest in new treatment strategies, including non-invasive brain stimulation methods. This randomised controlled trial examines a new treatment method using transcranial-pulsed electromagnetic fields (T-PEMF) delivered via a MoodHeadBand (MHB). The main study objective is to examine the antidepressant effect of T-PEMF on moderate to severe depression. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A double-blinded, randomised (1:1), sham-controlled trial with 96 participants diagnosed with moderate to severe depression without psychotic symptoms, recruited from Psychiatric Center Copenhagen. Participants receive daily 30 min at-home T-PEMF or sham treatment for 8 weeks with the MHB. Depressive symptomatology is examined using the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (Self-Report) (primary outcome) and Hamilton-D-17 Items Rating Scale at baseline and treatment completion. Cognitive functions are examined using a battery of emotion-laden and non-emotion-laden tests at baseline, after 1 week and at treatment completion. The participants fill out the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (Self-Report) and sleep logs weekly. Summary statistics, generalised linear models, proc mixed models, mixed model repeated measures and Kaplan-Meier analysis will be applied as appropriate to analyse data on depressive symptoms, cognition and sleep. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The Danish Medicines Agency (CIV-23-01-041987) and the Medical Research Ethics Committee (2215332) have approved the trial. The project concurs with the EU directive for medical devices 2017/745 of 5 April 2017 and the ISO 14155 standard. Participants give written informed consent before any trial-related activities. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06005103.

Indexed as

Major Depressive DisorderTranscranial Magnetic StimulationAdultCognitionDenmarkDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeCognitionDepression & mood disordersInsomniaRandomized Controlled TrialTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation

Identifiers

PMID41120157
PMCPMC12542551

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.