Can brain zaps and cash rewards break Cocaine's grip?
NCT ID NCT07490600
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a combination of two treatments for people with cocaine use disorder: deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain, and contingency management, a program that rewards participants for staying cocaine-free. The goal is to see if this combo helps people stop using cocaine and reduces cravings. The study involves 100 participants who will attend clinic visits three times a week.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) plus contingency management (a reward program for staying cocaine-free)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new treatment option for people with cocaine use disorder who don't respond to standard approaches.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 100 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment is intensive (three clinic visits per week) and may not work for all individuals.
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
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
-
Sep 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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
-
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 provide informed consent before any study-related activity, willing to comply with all study procedures, and be available for the duration of the study. * Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for moderate-to-severe CUD and report recent cocaine use (verified by at least one positive urine drug screen (UDS) for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine (BE), during intake). * Agree (if the participant is female and of child-bearing potential) to use effective contraceptive methods, unless the participant's male partner(s) is surgically sterile (underwent vasectomy). Acceptable contraceptives include: 1. oral contraceptives 2. contraceptive sponge 3. patch 4. double barrier (diaphragm/spermicidal or condom/spermicidal) 5. intrauterine contraceptive system 6. etonogestrel implant 7. medroxyprogesterone acetate contraceptive injection 8. complete abstinence from sexual intercourse 9. hormonal vaginal ring Contraceptive measures sold for emergency use after unprotected sex are not acceptable methods for routine use. * Women of child-bearing potential must provide negative urine pregnancy test prior to randomization. * Be able to provide the names and contact information of at least 2 persons who can consistently locate their whereabouts Exclusion Criteria: * Current DSM-5 diagnosis for substance use disorder (of at least moderate severity) other than cocaine, cannabis, or nicotine or a substance Use Disorder (SUD) requiring medical detoxification (e.g., alcohol, opioid, benzodiazepine) * Presence of any medical, neurological, psychiatric, or physical condition, disease, or illness (including psychosis and bipolar disorder) that, in the opinion of the PIs and the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CNRA)Medical Director could: (a) compromise interfere, limit, or reduce the subject's ability to complete the study; or (b) adversely impact the safety of the subject or the integrity of the data. * Has current or recent (within 3 months of potential enrollment) suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, homicidal ideation or a homicidal plan sufficient to raise subject safety concerns based on the following assessments: 1. Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) 2. Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale - Answers YES to Questions 3, 4, 5, or 6 3. Assault \& Homicidal Danger Assessment Tool - Key to Danger \> 1 * Any contraindications to MRI scans (metal in the body; claustrophobia). -Medical implants contraindicating TMS (i.e., aneurysm clips or coils, stents, implanted stimulators, implanted vagus nerve or deep brain stimulators, implanted electrical devices such as pacemakers or medication pumps, electrodes for monitoring brain activity, cochlear implants for hearing, any magnetic implants, bullet fragments, any other metal device or object implanted in your body closer than 30 cm from the coil). * History of brain surgery. * History of an intracranial lesion or any medical or neurological diagnosis/condition associated with increased intracranial pressure (i.e., Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension/Pseudotumor Cerebri) OR any of the following symptoms within 30 days of enrollment: headaches \> 15 days/month, loss of vision or decreased vision * Moderate-to-severe heart disease. * History of stroke. * Taking any antidepressant or antipsychotic medication at a dose above the maximum recommended dose or at a dose deemed to be potentially unsafe according to the study physician; has taken any of the following medications, which are known to increase the risk of seizures, within 1 week of study enrollment; or does not agree to abstain from taking the following medications during study participation: 1. clozapine 2. chlorpromazine 3. bupropion 4. clomipramine hydrochloride 5. amoxapine 6. maprotiline hydrochloride 7. diphenhydramine 8. stimulants other than cocaine including the following: 9. Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine ii. Dextroamphetamine iii. Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate iv. Methamphetamine v. Methylphenidate i. tramadol j. isoniazid. * Personal history of epilepsy or seizure disorder and/or family history including a first degree relative * Serious head injury with loss of consciousness * Having conditions of probation or parole requiring reports of drug use to officers of the court or impending incarceration * For adolescent aged participants (18-21 only): any risk factor for neurocardiogenic syncope (history of syncope/ presyncope related to noxious stimuli, anxiety, micturition, or posture). * Pregnant or nursing for female participants * Inability to read, write, or speak English.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cocaine use disorder (CUD) are added.
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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
-
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
RECRUITINGHouston, Texas, 77030, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.