Theta Burst Study Ghent
Theta Burst Study Ghent
50 Right-handed antidepressant-free unipolar depressed patients (age 18-65 years) will be
 treated with in total 20 Theta burst sessions; these will be spread over 4 days. On each
 stimulation day, a given patient shall receive 5 sessions with a between session delay of 10
 to 15 minutes. Patients will be selected using the structured Mini-International
 Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). All will be at least stage I treatment resistant. Because
 concomitant antidepressant treatment can confound outcome results, all patients will go
 through a medication washout before entering the study and they will be free from any
 antidepressant, neuroleptic and mood stabilizer for at least two weeks before entering the
 treatment protocol. Only habitual benzodiazepine agents will be allowed.

 All patients will be closely matched for gender and age with 50 never-depressed
 medication-free healthy volunteers. Only baseline measurements will be collected: no
 volunteer will undergo the treatment.

 We expect that real Theta burst treatment and not sham will result in a significant and
 clinical meaningful response.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  antidepressant-free unipolar depression

 -  age between 18 and 65 years

 -  right handed

 -  at least stage I treatment resistant

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  current or past history of epilepsy, neurosurgical interventions, having a pacemaker
 or metal or magnetic objects in the brain, alcohol dependence and suicide attempts
 within 6 months before the start of the study.