Feeling overwhelmed after giving birth?

Postpartum Depression Signs & Symptoms

If you're within 12 months postpartum and are struggling with feeling sad, down, or blue, you may be eligible to participate in an investigational research study using SAINT® TMS that is:

Medication free
Noninvasive
Completed in 5 days

If eligible, compensation may be provided for meals, travel, and childcare.

SAINT is an advanced form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a brain stimulation therapy that has been FDA-cleared for major depressive disorder.

Your partnership is vital in helping us explore an investigational rapid-acting treatment option for postpartum mental health care.

The use of SAINT for postpartum depression has not been cleared by the FDA and its safety and effectiveness has not yet been established. More information about the study can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID NCT07210255).

Be part of a new clinical trial for postpartum depression.

Clinical Trial: Now Enrolling

Frequently asked questions

An investigational treatment is one undergoing clinical study to evaluate its safety and effectiveness, but has not yet been FDA cleared or approved. In this study, the investigational treatment is called Stanford Accelerated Intelligent Neuromodulation Therapy (SAINT). SAINT is FDA-cleared for treating major depressive disorder but is investigational for postpartum depression (PPD).

SAINT is a form of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) — a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain involved in depression. This stimulation may help improve mood by restoring healthy brain activity patterns. Treatment is personalized using an fMRI scan to identify the brain area targeted for stimulation.

Women diagnosed with postpartum depression may be eligible if they are:

Between the ages of 18 and 45
Within 12 months after giving birth
Currently experiencing moderate to severe symptoms

No. Participants are randomly assigned (like a coin flip) to receive either active SAINT treatment or sham (inactive) treatment during the first phase. Neither you nor the study staff will know which group you are assigned to.

However, after 1 month, participants who continue to have symptoms may receive active SAINT treatment. Your study doctor will discuss this option with you and determine if additional treatment is appropriate.

Treatment takes place over 5 consecutive days. Each day includes:

Ten treatment sessions per day
Each session lasts about 10 minutes
A 50-minute break between each session

During breaks, you are free to rest, relax, or spend time with your child. The full treatment day lasts approximately 10 hours.

Yes. You may bring your baby to the clinic if you have a caregiver with you. Your caregiver will need to stay with your baby during the 10-minute treatment sessions. During the 50-minute breaks, you are free to rest or spend time with your child.

Your clinical coordinator or study doctor will explain what caregiver or other assistance may be available. The study teams are dedicated to making participation as easy as possible.

No. SAINT treatment is done during the day, and you will return home each evening.

After the treatment week, the study team will check in with you remotely over 6 months to monitor your mood, symptoms, and well-being. These visits include video check-ins and online questionnaires.

No. Most follow-up visits are conducted remotely. If additional SAINT treatment is recommended, some participants may be asked to return to the clinic.

Yes. You may receive compensation for your time and travel related to study participation. Study treatment and procedures are provided at no cost. The study team will discuss this with you in detail.

No — you are not eligible while pregnant. However, you may contact the study coordinator to express your interest. You may be eligible to participate after delivery if you continue to experience depression symptoms and meet the study requirements.

Yes. Participation is completely voluntary. You may choose not to participate or withdraw at any time without affecting your medical care.

Please contact the study coordinator. Clinical sites may be able to discuss available options and assistance with travel arrangements to help make participation easier.

This study is conducted by Magnus Medical, Inc. and funded by the U.S. Department of Defense.

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Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

843-608-8593

chm275@musc.edu

Get in touch

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

212-585-4605

saintppd@mssm.edu

Get in touch

UMass Chan Medical School

508-334-1055