Brain zaps for booze cravings? tiny trial halted early
NCT ID NCT06696365
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a type of brain stimulation called intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) could help people with alcohol use disorder reduce cravings and risky behavior during inpatient treatment. Only 2 people were enrolled before the trial was stopped early. The goal was to see if iTBS could change brain activity linked to alcohol cues and lower relapse risk, but the small size means no firm conclusions can be drawn.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) using intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug brain stimulation treatment to reduce cravings and relapse risk for people with alcohol use disorder.
- What could go wrong
- This trial was terminated early and enrolled only 2 people, so results are very limited. It is unclear if iTBS is effective, and the approach is still experimental.
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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2 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Finished
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Apr 2026
- 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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21 to 75 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. Provision of signed and dated informed consent form. 2. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study. 3. Male or female, aged \>21and \<75 4. Right-handed 5. Diagnosed with an AUD disorder seeking treatment at Caron Treatment Centers and planning to be enrolled in residential treatment for a minimum of 28 days. 6. Ability to obtain an MT at the first session. 7. Women of childbearing potential must consent to use a medically accepted method of birth control (e.g., implants, injectables, oral contraceptives, IUD, sexual abstinence, or vasectomized partner) or to abstain from sexual intercourse only during the five treatment days of the study. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Age \<21 or \>75 years. 2. Women who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, breastfeeding, or unwilling to use adequate contraceptive measures. 3. Evidence or history of a significant neurological disorder including moderate-severe head trauma, stroke, Parkinson's disease, or other movement disorder (except benign essential tremor), epilepsy. History of seizures (except juvenile febrile seizures or any condition/concurrent medication that could notably lower seizure threshold. This may include traumatic brain injury (TBI) if the TBI places the individual at an elevated risk of seizure. 4. Have a cardiac pacemaker. 5. Have an implanted device or metal in the brain. 6. Have a cochlear implant. 7. Have a current amnestic disorder, delirium, or other cognitive disorder. 8. Previous treatment with TMS. 9. Left-handed 10. Suicidal ideation within the past month, or history of suicide attempt(s) within the past year. 11. Active psychosis or history of severe psychiatric disorder with psychosis or unstable or untreated psychiatric disorder with potential for psychosis. 12. Abnormal physical exam findings, vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature), EKG measurements, and safety lab values that are deemed clinically significant by a study physician. 13. Diagnoses of severe depression or bipolar disorder. 14. Anyone who in the opinion of the principal investigator (PI) or study physician would not be appropriate for participation (i.e., behavioral issues during clinical treatment, clinical needs outweighing research participation).
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Caron Treatment Centers
Wernersville, Pennsylvania, 19565, United States
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