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Treatment Resistant Depression / Major Depressive Disorder / Depressive Disorder, Treatment Resistant · Journal article
Journal of Affective Disorders · August 21, 2026
Early or partial results. Treat as a signal, not a conclusion.
This pooled analysis of two small RCTs reports a nominal association between higher baseline Novelty Seeking and faster symptom reduction over one week in accelerated iTBS for treatment-resistant depression, without a difference between active and sham arms. The finding did not survive multiple-comparison correction and was not confirmed in within-arm analyses, placing it squarely in the exploratory category and requiring independent replication.
Pooled individual-patient data analysis from two randomized, sham-controlled trials. Adults with major depressive disorder and treatment-resistant depression, enrolled across two randomized trials. Baseline mean age 40.9 ± 12.7 years; 45 male, 59 female.. Intervention: Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, 20 sessions over 4 days.. Compared with: Sham aiTBS.. n = 104. Not stated in source..
Time × Novelty Seeking interaction showed higher baseline Novelty Seeking associated with faster symptom reduction (β = −1.70, p = 0.021), but this was uncorrected. Adjusted p-value after Holm correction across 14 trait-interaction tests = 0.294, not significant. No between-arm difference in Novelty Seeking–symptom-change association; effect observed in both active and sham conditions.
Safety was not reported in the material analysed. Check the source before drawing any conclusion about harm.
The authors explicitly state this finding is preliminary and may reflect nonspecific processes, with no active-arm advantage over sham. Clinicians should not use baseline Novelty Seeking for patient selection or prognostication in aiTBS until independent replication is completed.
Exploratory post-hoc analysis of pooled data from two small RCTs examining a personality trait association that failed multiplicity correction and showed no active-versus-sham difference, requiring independent replication before clinical utility.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
The authors explicitly state this finding is preliminary and may reflect nonspecific processes, with no active-arm advantage over sham. Clinicians should not use baseline Novelty Seeking for patient selection or prognostication in aiTBS until independent replication is completed.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Introduction. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is highly prevalent and often treatment-resistant. Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) is a promising intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), though outcomes vary. Personality traits have been examined in relation to rTMS outcomes, yet their role in aiTBS remains underexplored. This pooled individual-patient-data analysis of two randomized, sham-controlled trials examined associations between baseline Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) traits and one-week symptom change, and whether they differed by condition.Methods. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was targeted for 20 sessions over 4 days. Personality was assessed with the TCI, depression severity with the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17). TCI-symptom-change associations were examined with a robust linear mixed-effects model, adjusting for age, gender, repeated measurements, and study membership.Results. 104 participants were included (M/F 45/59; mean age 40.9 ± 12.7; active/sham 50/54). The model yielded a Time × Novelty Seeking interaction (β = -1.70, p = 0.021): higher baseline Novelty Seeking was associated with faster symptom reduction, without a between-arm difference. However, the interaction did not survive Holm correction across 14 trait-interaction tests (adjusted p = 0.294) and is therefore exploratory. No other interaction reached the uncorrected threshold.Conclusions. Higher baseline Novelty Seeking showed a nominal association with faster symptom reduction, without a difference between active and sham conditions. Because it did not survive multiplicity correction and was not reproduced in within-arm analyses, it is preliminary and may reflect contextual or nonspecific processes. Independent replication is required before temperament assessment can be clinically informative.
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