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Can a Brain-Zapping combo rewire emotional control in trauma?

NCT ID NCT07868627

Symptom relief Sponsor: Mclean Hospital 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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Oct 09, 2026 · Last updated Oct 09, 2026

Summary

Researchers at McLean Hospital are testing whether combining accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a single dose of the drug d-cycloserine, and talk therapy can improve brain flexibility and emotional control in adults with moderate to severe depression, anxiety or trauma symptoms. All participants receive active accelerated TMS, which delivers multiple brief magnetic pulse sessions in one day, along with d-cycloserine. They are randomly assigned to have TMS aimed at one of two brain targets, the precuneus or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and then randomly assigned to three weeks of either therapist-led talk therapy or self-guided educational materials. The trial measures changes in depression and anxiety symptoms to see which brain target works best and whether therapist-led therapy leads to more lasting relief.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
A single 125 mg dose of d-cycloserine, accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation, and talk therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a faster, combined treatment that helps people with depression, anxiety or trauma gain more lasting relief and better emotional control.
What could go wrong
This is a mid-stage trial with 75 participants, so results may not hold in larger groups. TMS can cause headaches or scalp discomfort, and d-cycloserine can cause drowsiness or mood changes.

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 75 people

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

Started

Jun 2025

Expected to finish

Mar 2027

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

18 years and older

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: * Can safely receive TMS and study drugs * Stable medication regimen for one month prior to study participation, and for the duration of the study * Not currently receiving TMS, ECT, or ketamine * No active safety concerns related to suicidality * Moderate to severe Major Depressive Disorder as indicated by the Patient Health Questionnaire or Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Exclusion Criteria: * History of seizures or epilepsy * History of intracranial pathology or lesions from any etiology * History of traumatic brain injury including prolonged loss of consciousness more than 15 min * Signs of increased intracranial pressure * Any major neurological conditions (ex: recent stroke, tumor, neurodegenerative disorders, etc.) * Major medical conditions that may cause a medical emergency in case of a - provoked seizure (cardiac malformation, cardiac dysrhythmia, asthma, etc.) * Severe migraines that may result in treatment intolerance. * Inability to tolerate MRI. * Pregnancy * Known allergy to D-cycloserine

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder Depression depressive disorder injury major depressive disorder Psychological Well-Being

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Anxiety Depression Trauma patients

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • McLean Hospital

    Belmont, Massachusetts, 02478, United States

More trials for these conditions

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