Scientists zap brains to unlock anxiety secrets
NCT ID NCT07415772
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study uses a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called TMS to temporarily change activity in a brain region linked to anxiety. Researchers will use fMRI scans to see how this affects brain connections and anxiety-related startle responses. 140 adults with anxiety will receive either real or sham TMS. The goal is to understand how TMS might work to reduce anxiety, which could lead to better treatments in the future.
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)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how TMS changes brain activity related to anxiety, pointing toward more effective, non-invasive treatments.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early mechanistic study, not a treatment trial. It may not lead directly to a therapy, and results may not apply to all anxiety patients.
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 140 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2031
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 50 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: * Able to give their consent * Right-handed * Individuals receiving therapy for anxiety must be stable on their regimen for at least 4 weeks prior to study enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Non-english speaking * Any significant medical or neurological problems * Current or past non-anxiety-related psychiatric comorbidity, active or history of active suicidal ideation * Alcohol/drug problems in the past year or lifetime alcohol or drug dependence * Medications that act on the central nervous system * History of seizure * History of epilepsy * Increased risk of seizure for any reason * Pregnancy, or positive pregnancy test * Any medical condition that increases risk for fMRI or TMS * Any metal in their body which would make having an MRI scan unsafe * Any sort of medical implants * Hearing loss * Claustrophobia * orthostatic hypotension
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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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-6013, United States
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