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Brain zaps may boost PTSD therapy by calming fear response

NCT ID NCT06234969

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) can reduce arousal in people with PTSD. Researchers will apply cTBS to a brain region involved in attention and fear processing, then measure startle responses and distress. The goal is to understand how this stimulation affects the brain's ability to unlearn fear, which could improve exposure therapy. 120 adults with PTSD will participate.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (a type of non-invasive brain stimulation)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a new way to enhance exposure therapy for PTSD by reducing arousal and improving fear extinction learning.
What could go wrong
This is an early mechanistic study, not a treatment trial. The stimulation is temporary and effects may not translate to real-world symptom relief. Risks include discomfort or seizure (rare).

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

About 120 people

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

Started

Apr 2024

Expected to finish

Oct 2028

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 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: * Adult aged 18-60 * Meets Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria for PTSD according to the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 * No metal implants Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Seizure disorder or epilepsy * Increased risk of seizure * Non-English speaking * Any medical condition that increases risk for fMRI or cTBS * Medical implant * Hearing loss sufficient to interfere with startle * Claustrophobia * Recent medication or therapy changes (in the past 8 weeks) * Current severe substance use disorder

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Posttraumatic stress disorder

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

    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

  • Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, University of Pennsylvania

    RECRUITING

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

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