Clinical trials / NCT05617495
Recruiting

Mindfulness-Based fMRI Neurofeedback for Depression

In the United States, adolescents experience alarmingly high rates of major depression, and gold-standard treatments are only effective for approximately half of patients. Rumination may be a promising treatment target, as it is well-characterized at the neural level and contributes to depression onset, maintenance, and recurrence as well as predicts treatment non-response. Accordingly, the proposed research will investigate whether an innovative mindfulness-based real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging…

ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT05617495
PhaseNA
Enrollment90
SponsorColumbia University
Age13 Years
SexALL
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Conditions studied

Depression in Adolescence, Rumination

About this study

In the United States, adolescents experience alarmingly high rates of major depression, and gold-standard treatments are only effective for approximately half of patients. Rumination may be a promising treatment target, as it is well-characterized at the neural level and contributes to depression onset, maintenance, and recurrence as well as predicts treatment non-response. Accordingly, the proposed research will investigate whether an innovative mindfulness-based real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) neurofeedback intervention successfully elicits change in the brain circuit underlying rumination to improve clinical outcomes among depressed adolescents.

Interventions

Primary outcomes

Eligibility information

Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 13-18 years-old * Written informed assent/consent and parental/guardian permission for 13-17 year-olds or informed consent for 18 year-olds * Tanner puberty stage ≥3 * Meets current diagnostic criteria for MDD * English fluency Exclusion Criteria: * Lifetime history of primary psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, developmental disorder (e.g., autism), post-traumatic stress disorder, or eating disorders * Substance use disorder, moderate or severe in past 6 months * Active suicidal ideation with a specific plan * History of seizure disorder * Medical or neurological illness (e.g., severe head injury) * MRI contraindications * Current psychotropic medication use other than antidepressant medication * Intelligence quotient (IQ) \<80.

Study locations

Before you participate: Varda Clinical is an independent discovery tool, not the study sponsor or a medical provider. Eligibility can only be determined by the official study team. Discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-09-29.