One-Day brain zaps plus antibiotic could rewire PTSD in first responders

NCT ID NCT07773935

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase 2 trial is testing whether a single day of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), combined with a dose of D-cycloserine, can help first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About 50 participants will receive either the active treatment or a placebo. The study focuses on whether this one-day approach is feasible, tolerable, and worth further investigation as a rapid treatment option.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
A one-day course of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with a single dose of the antibiotic D-cycloserine (125 mg) or a placebo capsule.
What this could lead to
If successful, this could offer a rapid, one-day treatment option for PTSD in first responders, potentially reducing symptoms much faster than current therapies.
What could go wrong
This is an early-phase feasibility study with a small number of participants, so results may not generalize. The treatment may not be effective, and rTMS can cause side effects like headache or scalp discomfort.

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

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 50 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Nov 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jan 2029

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

19 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

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: * are outpatients between the ages of 19-60; * are voluntary and competent to consent; * are first responders (active, on leave or retired); * have DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD with a CAPS for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) score ≥ 25; * 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score ≤ 23; * have had no increase or initiation of any psychotropic medication in the 4 weeks prior to screening; * if participating in psychotherapy, must have been in stable treatment for at least 1 month prior to entry into the study, with no anticipation of change in the frequency of therapeutic sessions, or the therapeutic focus over the duration of the study; * able to adhere to the treatment schedule; * Pass the TMS adult safety screening (TASS) questionnaire, and the MRI safety screening. Exclusion Criteria: * have a Severe Substance Use Disorder (except tobacco) within the last three (3) months; * have a concomitant major unstable medical illness, cardiac pacemaker or implanted medication pump; * have active suicidal intent; * are pregnant; * have a lifetime MINI diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or current psychotic symptoms; * have a MINI diagnosis of OCD, or mood disorder that is assessed by a study investigator to be primary and causing greater impairment than PTSD; * have a diagnosis of any personality disorder, assessed by a study investigator to be primary and causing greater impairment than MDD; * have failed a course of ECT in the current episode or previous episode; * have received rTMS for any previous indication; * have any significant neurological disorder, history of seizure disorder (except those therapeutically induced by ECT), or any significant head trauma with clear radiological evidence of cerebrovascular injury on imaging; * have an intracranial implant (e.g., aneurysm clips, shunts, stimulators, cochlear implants, or electrodes) or any other metal object within or near the head, excluding the mouth, that cannot be safely removed; * clinically significant laboratory abnormality, in the opinion of the one of the principal investigators or study physicians (including but not limited to abnormal blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)); * currently take more than lorazepam 2 mg daily (or equivalent) or any dose of an anticonvulsant due to the potential to limit rTMS efficacy; * currently take dicumarol, gingko biloba, isoniazid, ethionamide, fluphenazine, metrizamide, tramadol, warfarin due to potential interactions with D-Cycloserine; * planned vaccination with Bacille Calmette-Guérin, cholera or typhoid or planned imaging procedure with an injectable die, within one week following the treatment days, due to potential interactions with DCS. * allergy to DCS

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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.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Non-Invasive Neurostimulation Therapies Centre, University of British Columbia

    Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 2A1, Canada

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