Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Brain zaps for PTSD? small study tests TMS on trauma

NCT ID NCT04563078

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain regions, can improve PTSD symptoms and related brain activity. Fifty adults with partial PTSD received either active TMS or a sham procedure over 10 days. Researchers measured changes in brain scans and stress responses to see if TMS could help. The goal was to assess feasibility and identify new brain targets for future PTSD treatments.

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 point toward a noninvasive brain stimulation treatment for PTSD symptoms, especially for underserved populations.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage feasibility study with only 50 participants. Results may not apply broadly, and TMS may not improve symptoms for everyone.

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

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

50 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2021

Finished

Sep 2025

Lead sponsor

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

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women 18-65 years of age. * Meet for partial PTSD, defined as 3 out of 4 symptom clusters always including cluster E (alterations in arousal and reactivity) according to the DSM-5 criteria using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5). * Capable and willing to provide informed consent. * Able to adhere to the treatment schedule. Exclusion Criteria: * Having active suicidal intent or plan as defined by a positive answer to questions 4 and/or 5 on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS): Screening version; or in the clinician's opinion, is likely to attempt suicide within the next six months. * Unstable psychotropic medication status. Participants taking psychotropic medications (i.e.,antidepressants, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and anticonvulsants, etc.) can be enrolled in the study as long as medication type and dose has been stable for at least 6 weeks, and additionally, medication type or dose does not change during the course of the study. * Lifetime diagnosis of psychotic disorder or bipolar I disorder per diagnostic interview. * Diagnosed with the following conditions: a neurological disorder, including a history of seizures, cerebrovascular disease, primary or secondary tumors in CNS, stroke, cerebral aneurysm or movement disorder or any lifetime history of loss of consciousness for more than 5 minutes due to head injury. * History of cranial surgery, metallic particles in the eye or head (exclusive of mouth), implanted cardiac pacemaker or any intra-cardiac lines, implanted neurostimulators, intra-cranial implants (e.g., aneurysm clips, shunts, stimulators, cochlear implants, or electrodes) or implanted medical pumps. * Current substance abuse or dependence as indicated by a score of 6 or higher on the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST). * Current alcohol abuse or dependence as indicated by a score of 8 or higher on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). * Being pregnant or a positive pregnancy test at the beginning of each TMS treatment week for sexually active women of childbearing age who are on reliable birth control. * Currently participating in another clinical study or enrolled in another clinical study within 30 days prior to this study or started (new) treatment for PTSD within 3 months prior to this study. * Previously treated with TMS.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Post-traumatic stress disorder are added.

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

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

  • Grady Hospital

    Atlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.