Could a single day of TMS plus a pill ease suicidal thoughts in BPD?
NCT ID NCT07460947
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 06, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study tests a new one-day treatment for people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who have suicidal thoughts. It combines a medication called D-cycloserine with up to 20 short sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over 12 hours. The study enrolls 20 adults and aims to see if the treatment is acceptable, feasible, and whether it improves symptoms and brain activity.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- D-cycloserine and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a rapid, one-day treatment to reduce suicidal thoughts in people with borderline personality disorder.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-phase pilot study (20 people) testing feasibility first. It may not show clear benefits, and the effects might not last.
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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Phase 1/2
Runs two stages together: safety and dose first, then whether the treatment works.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2026
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
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 years and older
- 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: * Adult (18+) of any gender * Meets DSM-5 criteria for BPD, per assessment with the Structured Clinic Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders (SCID-5-PD), BPD Module * Moderate to severe SI during the two weeks prior to screening, as indexed by a score of 9 or higher on the Modified Scale for Suicide Ideation - Self Report (Clum \& Yang, 1995) Exclusion Criteria: * Current manic or hypomanic symptoms, as assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment Research Tool (DART) screener and diagnostic modules, where relevant. * Current clinically significant psychotic symptoms not better accounted for by BPD, as assessed by the DART psychotic symptoms screener. * Current alcohol or substance use disorder, that in the opinion of a study PIs, is of sufficient severity to impede engagement in treatment or is associated with significant risk of medical withdrawal, as assessed by the DART. * Medical documentation or self-report of current anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or eating disorder not otherwise specified - atypical anorexia nervosa or atypical bulimia nervosa, that is in the opinion of a study PIs is of sufficient severity to be associated with significant medical risks * Acute suicide risk, sufficient to require immediate hospitalization; * history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion involving loss of consciousness or amnesia for ≥24 hours; * any significant neurological disorder likely to be associated with increased intracranial pressure or cognitive impairment (e.g., epilepsy; Parkinson's disease); * diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder (e.g., autism, downs syndrome; Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) other than attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or dyslexia * current diagnosis of delirium or dementia; * cognitive disorder secondary to a general medical condition * Pregnant and breastfeeding people are excluded in line with the studies our protocol is based upon using DCS and aTMS. Assessment of pregnancy will be completed during the 1-week prior to the administration of DCS (i.e., taken the night before TMS treatment), where relevant and according to MGB IRB policy. * Participants with contraindications to TMS (e.g., metal in head or neck area), or at increased risk for adverse events (e.g., seizure history or markedly heightened risk factors for seizures, serious medical problems, implanted devices) will be excluded. * Participants with a known allergy to DCS will be excluded from the study. * No patients with involuntary hospitalization status will be recruited for the study. * No individuals who are not proficient in English will be recruited for the study * Subject does not have a PCP
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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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McLean Hospital
RECRUITINGBelmont, Massachusetts, 02478, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can writing about trauma in a group ease PTSD for those with BPD traits?
- Can ketamine plus therapy curb suicidal thoughts? new trial aims to find out.