Recruiting

TMS

Sponsor:

Auburn University

Code:

NCT06274112

Conditions

Social Avoidant Behavior

Major Depressive Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 25 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

TMS

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to better understand the neural circuits associated with social motivation.

Participant includes four study visits each that range from 1.5 - 3.0 hours in duration over approximately a one month period. The first study visit involves answering survey questions, a clinical interview, and computer tasks. The second study visit involves a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, computer tasks, and a brief TMS protocol. The second and third study visits involve a full session of TMS followed by an MRI scan and computer tasks.

Adults in the Auburn/Opelika area and surrounding areas who avoid social situations, experience symptoms of depression or social anxiety, and are between 25 years old and 50 years old are eligible to participate.

Conditions

Social Avoidant Behavior

Major Depressive Disorder

Social Anxiety Disorder

Study ID

NCT06274112

Start date

Sep 30, 2025

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Jul 31, 2029

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jul 31, 2029

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 25 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • A diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder OR a diagnosis of Social Anxiety Disorder (assessed/confirmed at screening visit).
  • Scoring above clinical threshold on a measure of social avoidant behavior (assessed/confirmed at phone screen).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unstable psychotropic medication regimen (i.e., changes in psychotropic medication or dosage in past 3 months).
  • Current or lifetime diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder.
  • A diagnosis of substance use disorder within past 12 months.
  • A diagnosis of psychotic-spectrum disorder such as Schizophrenia.
  • Pregnancy or probable pregnancy.
  • Medical illness or medical treatment that would preclude or inhibit study participation.
  • Neurological disorder associated with brain damage.
  • History of seizures or head trauma with loss of consciousness > 5 minutes.
  • Family history of epilepsy or personal epilepsy/seizures
  • Ferromagnetic implants or ferrmagnetic objects within body (e.g., pacemaker).

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: TMS A

Active continuous thetaburst stimulation administered over right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 40 seconds (600 pulses total)

sham comparator: TMS B

Sham continuous thetaburst stimulation administered over right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 40 seconds (600 pulses total)

Interventions

TMS

TMS will be administered using a Cool B-65 coil to a personalized right dlPFC region.

Primary outcome measure

  • Social motivation [ Time Frame: Immediately post-intervention ]
  • Neural circuit function [ Time Frame: Immediately post-intervention ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Locations

Auburn University

Recruiting

Auburn, Alabama, United States, 36849

Contacts

Travis Evans, PhD

3348444550tce0018@auburn.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Auburn University

Last update posted

Mar 3, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Auburn University on 2026-03-03.