Zapping the brain to curb Booze-Fueled bad decisions?
NCT ID NCT07188376
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study explores whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can reduce the impulsive, risky behaviors that often happen after drinking alcohol. Twelve moderate drinkers will attend five visits, receiving either real or sham TMS after consuming an alcoholic or placebo drink. They will then complete tasks measuring self-control and decision-making. The goal is to understand if TMS can improve inhibitory control during intoxication, which could one day help prevent alcohol-related accidents and harm.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 12 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 29 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 21-29 * Must be competent in English * BMI between 19 and 26 * At least a high school education * Moderate alcohol users (e.g., at least occasional alcohol use, without meeting criteria for alcohol use disorder) * Negative urine drug screen for illicit drugs * Negative urine pregnancy test (if applicable) on testing days Exclusion Criteria: * History of seizures or a first-degree relative with seizure history * History of head trauma or other CNS injuries * Current or past psychiatric disorders (including substance use disorder, except nicotine or caffeine) * Contraindications for non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., metal implants, pacemaker) * Currently pregnant or breastfeeding * Current use of medications that lower seizure threshold * Positive alcohol withdrawal symptoms * Smokes more than five cigarettes per day (to avoid acute nicotine effects or withdrawal during visits)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Kentucky
RECRUITINGLexington, Kentucky, 40507, United States