Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Zapping the brain to calm the gut: a new frontier for IBS?

NCT ID NCT03869372

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: David Levinthal Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether non-invasive brain stimulation (rTMS) can alter gut activity in healthy people and those with functional dyspepsia or IBS. Researchers will measure stomach rhythms, heart rate, and fullness thresholds after applying rTMS to the motor cortex. It is an early, exploratory study aimed at understanding brain-gut connections, not a treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could pave the way for brain-based treatments for functional gut disorders like IBS and dyspepsia.
What could go wrong
This is an early exploratory study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead to any therapy, and results may not apply to all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

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

118 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2019

Finished

Oct 2023

Lead sponsor

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

21 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * Adults between age 21 and 60 * Participants without gastrointestinal symptoms (Healthy Subjects) * Participants with gastrointestinal symptoms compatible with functional dyspepsia (FD) and or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Exclusion Criteria: * history of myocardial infarction, supplemental oxygen requirement, or diabetes * history of chronic gastrointestinal symptoms (for healthy subjects only) * history of gastric surgery * psychosis or altered cognitive status * history of head injury, metal in the skull, stroke, or a history of seizures * implantable devices, such as a pacemaker or nerve stimulator * current use of the following medications or use of substances which are known to lower the seizure threshold: amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), imipramine (Tofranil), doxepin (Sinequan), clozapine (Clozaril), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), amphetamines or methamphetamine, Ecstasy, Ketamine, Angel Dust/phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, or 3 or more alcoholic drinks per day * pregnancy * Body-Mass-Index (BMI) \> 35

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Functional dyspepsia are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

dyspepsia functional gastric disease irritable bowel syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Functional dyspepsia Healthy subjects Irritable bowel syndrome

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15232, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.