Recruiting

Brain Stimulation and Brain Training for Depression After Mild Head Injury

Plain-English translation of NCT05682677 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated May 2026 · Translation generated June 2026 · How we translate trials

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This study doesn't follow the usual testing phases — it may be an observational study or a different type of research.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing whether a combination of two treatments can help reduce depression in people who have experienced a mild traumatic brain injury (concussion). The two treatments are: intermittent theta burst stimulation (a type of magnetic brain stimulation therapy), and personalized cognitive training (brain exercises designed just for you). Researchers want to see if using both treatments together works better than cognitive training alone.

Depression is very common after a mild head injury, but many people don't improve enough with standard treatments. This trial is designed to test whether adding brain stimulation to cognitive training can offer better relief for people struggling with depression following a concussion.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are between 18 and 65 years old
you have had a mild traumatic brain injury or concussion at least 3 months ago
you currently have depression diagnosed as Major Depressive Disorder
you are a service member, veteran, or civilian receiving care at a military or university hospital
you have been stable on your current psychiatric medications for at least 6 weeks and don't expect to change them during the study

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a history of moderate, severe, or penetrating brain injury
you have other neurological conditions like epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, stroke, or a history of brain surgery
you have implanted medical devices like a pacemaker, aneurysm clip, or cochlear implant that cannot be removed
you are currently having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, or you are experiencing active mania or psychosis
you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study period

What participation looks like

You would receive 6 sessions of personalized cognitive training (brain exercises) over 4 weeks, along with 20 sessions of brain stimulation therapy over the same 4-week period. Half of participants will receive real brain stimulation, and half will receive sham stimulation (a placebo) so researchers can fairly compare the results. You'll have check-in visits at 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks to measure how your depression is improving. The entire study takes about 8 weeks to complete.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jun 17, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

United States

UCSD, La Jolla, California