Can targeted magnetic pulses calm uncontrollable movements?
NCT ID NCT07173920
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation method called rTMS can reduce the involuntary muscle spasms caused by long-term use of certain psychiatric medications. Researchers will use MRI scans to precisely target the stimulation in 62 adults with tardive dyskinesia. Half will receive real rTMS and half a sham treatment, and their movement symptoms will be measured after 14 days.
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 provide a non-invasive, drug-free option to reduce uncontrollable movements in people with tardive dyskinesia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 62 people. The effects may be short-lived or not better than placebo, and individual results vary.
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 62 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- 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 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.
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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 and 65 years; (2) Patients whose diagnosis is consistent with the tardive dyskinesia (TD) diagnostic criteria defined by the Schooler-Kane criteria, with a disease duration of at least 3 months before screening, and a history of treatment with dopamine receptor antagonists for at least 3 months (a minimum of 1 month for patients aged ≥ 60 years); other diseases that may cause involuntary movements are excluded Exclusion Criteria:(1) Diagnosed with movement disorders other than tardive dyskinesia (TD); (2) A history of focal brain injury or severe leukoencephalopathy (Fazekas grade 3 or higher) identified on previous head MRI/CT; (3) A personal history of epilepsy, unexplained loss of consciousness, or current use of anticonvulsant medications for seizure management; (4) Presence of metallic medical devices in the body (e.g., cardiac pacemakers, cochlear implants), other metallic foreign bodies, or any electronic devices implanted in the body; or having other contraindications to repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS); (5) Presence of contraindications to MRI scanning, such as having metallic implants in the body or claustrophobia \-
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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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Peking University Sixth Hosptial
RECRUITINGBeijing, China
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