Temporal Interference Stimulation in Major Depressive Disorder: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Brief Summary

This pilot feasibility study used a randomized, double-blind, within-subject crossover design to explore temporal interference (TI) stimulation in adults with major depressive disorder. Fifteen participants received five weekly 20-minute stimulation sessions in randomized order, including TI stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, left subgenual anterior cingulate cortex, right amygdala, and right ventral striatum, as well as a sham stimulation condition. The primary aim was to establish the feasibility of target-specific TI stimulation and to characterize its effects on functional connectivity and cognitive-emotional processing, assessed by resting-state fMRI and an emotional Stroop task before and after each session. Depressive and anxiety symptoms (HAMD and HAMA) were collected longitudinally across the five-week protocol as a secondary, exploratory measure.