Zapping the brain to fight opioid cravings: new study tests TMS
NCT ID NCT07457489
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called TMS can reduce cravings and opioid use in people with opioid use disorder. One hundred participants will receive either real or sham TMS sessions over 8 weeks, with follow-up visits for about 5 months. The goal is to see if stimulating a specific brain region can help control cravings and support recovery.
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 it works, this could point toward a non-drug treatment to help people with opioid use disorder manage cravings and reduce opioid use.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with no direct benefit to participants. The sham control means some will get no real stimulation, and results may not lead to a proven treatment.
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
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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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
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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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 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: 1. Age between 18-65 years 2. Diagnosis of OUD according to DSM-5 criteria and confirmed by SCID (First et al. 2015) 3. Meets either of the following criteria: (1) reports opioid craving of 2 or greater on a 0-10 scale, or (2) has returned to opioid use at least once within the past 12 months. 4. Currently Prescribed Buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder 5. Must be able to read, speak and understand English 6. Must be judged by study staff to be capable of completing the study procedures 7. Participants will be in stable outpatient psychiatric treatment and psychiatrically stable. Exclusion Criteria: 1. DSM-5 intellectual disability 2. Substance use disorder (other than opioid, nicotine, or cannabis) within the past three months 3. Current, active suicidal ideation with intent or plan 4. Positive urine drug screen for illicit substance use that can increase seizure risk (cocaine, benzodiazepines, amphetamine, methamphetamine) 5. History of psychosis in the past 3 months or diagnosis of a primary psychotic disorder 6. Any history of a progressive or genetic neurologic disorder (e.g. Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, tuberous sclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease) or acquired neurological disease (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor), including intracranial lesions 7. History of head trauma resulting in any loss of consciousness (\>15 minutes) or neurological sequelae 8. Current history of poorly controlled headaches including chronic medication for migraine prevention 9. History of fainting spells of unknown or undetermined etiology that might constitute seizures 10. History of seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy, or immediate (1st degree relative) family history epilepsy with the exception of a single seizure of benign etiology (e.g. febrile seizures) in the judgment of a board-certified neurologist 11. Chronic (particularly) uncontrolled medical conditions that may cause a medical emergency in case of a provoked seizure (cardiac malformation, cardiac dysrhythmia, asthma, etc.) 12. Any metal in the brain or skull (excluding dental fillings) or elsewhere in the body unless cleared by the responsible covering MD (e.g. MRI compatible joint replacement) 13. Any devices such as pacemaker, medication pump, nerve stimulator, TENS unit, ventriculo-peritoneal shunt unless cleared by the responsible covering MD 14. All female participants of child-bearing age will be required to have a pregnancy test; any participant who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant will not be enrolled in the study 15. Medications will be reviewed by the responsible covering physician and a decision about inclusion will be made based on the participant's past medical history, drug dose, history of recent medication changes or duration of treatment, and use of CNS active drugs. The published TMS guidelines review of medications to be considered with rTMS will be taken into consideration given their described effects on cortical excitability measures. 16. Participants who, in the investigator's opinion, might not be suitable for the study or would be unable to tolerate the study visit
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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
2 sites. 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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Synaptic Psych
RECRUITINGBrentwood, Tennessee, 37027, United States
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center Psychiatric Hospital
RECRUITINGNashville, Tennessee, 37212, United States
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