Could zapping the Brain's cerebellum boost cognition in mental illness?
NCT ID NCT03217110
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the cerebellum can improve cognitive deficits and mood in people with schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, or Parkinson's disease. Researchers will compare real stimulation to sham (fake) stimulation in 200 participants. The goal is to see if this approach can help with thinking skills and emotional symptoms.
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-invasive brain stimulation treatment for cognitive problems in several mental health and neurological conditions.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with no phase, so results are uncertain. The effect may be small or not last, and risks like seizures or discomfort are possible.
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 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2017
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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 90 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * A clinical diagnosis consistent with enrollment Exclusion Criteria: * History of recurrent seizures or epilepsy * Any other neurological or psychiatric diagnosis outside the diagnosis for which the participant is enrolled. * Active substance use disorder in the past 6 months other than tobacco use disorder. * Inability to consent for study. * Pacemaker * Coronary Stent * Defibrillator * Neurostimulation * Claustrophobia * Uncontrolled high blood pressure * Atrial fibrillation * Significant heart disease * Hemodynamic instability * Kidney disease * Pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding
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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
1 site. 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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University of Iowa
RECRUITINGIowa City, Iowa, 52245, United States
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