Prefrontal Transcranial Pulse Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial - Takeaways - MDSpire

Prefrontal Transcranial Pulse Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

  • By

  • Penny Ping Qin

  • Minxia Jin

  • Rebecca Laidi Kan

  • Ivan Chak

  • Bella Bingbing Zhang

  • Wanda Chau

  • Ami Li

  • Tim Tianze Lin

  • Adam Weili Xia

  • Sharie Xiao Wang

  • Tifei Yuan

  • Teris Cheung

  • Roland Beisteiner

  • Lei Sun

  • Frank Padberg

  • Georg S. Kranz

  • July 6, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a lifetime prevalence of 2% to 21% and is projected to be the leading cause of global disease burden by 2030.

  • 2

    Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) is a low-intensity ultrasound technique that modulates the brain through short-duration shock waves.

  • 3

    The study conducted a double-blind, sham-controlled RCT to evaluate the efficacy of TPS on depressive symptoms in patients with MDD.

  • 4

    Participants received 12 sessions of TPS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with outcomes measured using various depression rating scales.

  • 5

    The primary outcome was the change in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores post-intervention, with secondary outcomes including HAMD-17 and PHQ-9 scores.

Original Source(s)

Prefrontal Transcranial Pulse Stimulation for Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

  • by Penny Ping Qin, Minxia Jin, Rebecca Laidi Kan, Ivan Chak, Bella Bingbing Zhang, Wanda Chau, Ami Li, Tim Tianze Lin, Adam Weili Xia, Sharie Xiao Wang, Tifei Yuan, Teris Cheung, Roland Beisteiner, Lei Sun, Frank Padberg, Georg S. Kranz

  • July 6, 2026

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