Magnetic seizures: a new hope for psychosis?
NCT ID NCT06581302
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests a new treatment called magnetic seizure therapy (MST) for people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. MST uses magnetic pulses to trigger a controlled seizure in the brain, aiming to improve symptoms when added to standard antipsychotic medications. The trial will enroll 50 adults aged 18-55 and measure changes in symptoms, thinking, and brain activity over time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Magnetic seizure therapy (MST) using a MagPro MST device, plus antipsychotic medications (e.g., olanzapine, risperidone)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a safer, more targeted brain stimulation option for people with psychosis who don't fully respond to medication alone.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early, small study (50 people) with no control group, so results may not be conclusive. MST is still experimental, and its long-term benefits or risks are not yet known.
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 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2025
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 55 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) meets the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia or other primary psychotic disorders according to DSM-5; * (2) age range between 18 and 55 years; * (3) Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score≥60; * (4) to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * (1) have a concomitant severe medical illness; * (2) are pregnant or intend to get pregnant during the study; * (3) have a history of DSM-5 diagnosis of substance dependence or abuse within the past three months; * (4) history of traumatic brain injury (with a screening scale score of 7 or above); * (5) history of poor response to electroconvulsive therapy or MST; * (6) have probable dementia based on study investigator assessment; have any significant neurological disorder or condition likely to be associated with increased intracranial pressure or a space occupying brain lesion, e.g., cerebral aneurysm; * (7) presenting with a medical condition, medication, or laboratory anomaly deemed by the investigator to potentially induce psychotic symptoms, or significant cognitive impairment. (e.g., hypothyroidism with low TSH, rheumatoid arthritis requiring high dose prednisone, or Cushing's disease); * (8) have an intracranial implant (e.g., aneurysm clips, shunts, stimulators, cochlear implants, or electrodes) or any other metal object within or near the head, excluding the mouth, that cannot be safely removed; * (9) a score of 18 or more on the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D); * (10) needing ECT treatment immediately due to such dangerous symptoms as suicide, stupor or psychomotor agitation, etc.
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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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Shanghai Mental Health Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGShanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200030, China
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Shanghai Mental Health Center
RECRUITINGShanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
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