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MPFC Theta Burst Stimulation as a Treatment Tool for Alcohol Use Disorder: Effects on Drinking and Incentive Salience

NCT04998916 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 86

Last updated 2026-04-02

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The purpose of this study is to develop transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), specifically TMS at a frequency known as theta burst stimulation (TBS), to see how it affects the brain and changes the brain's response to alcohol-related pictures. TMS and TBS are stimulation techniques that use magnetic pulses to temporarily excite specific brain areas in awake people (without the need for surgery, anesthetic, or other invasive procedures). TBS, which is a form of TMS, will be applied over the medial prefrontal cortex, (MPFC), which has been shown to be involved with drinking patterns and alcohol consumption. This study will test whether TBS can be used as an alternative tool to reduce the desire to use alcohol and reducing the brain's response to alcohol-related pictures.

Conditions

Interventions

DEVICE

Real TBS to the mPFC

This will be delivered with the Magventure Magpro system; 600 pulses of continuous theta burst stimulation with the active sham coil (double blinded using the integrated active sham system).

DEVICE

Sham TBS to the mPFC

This will be delivered with the Magventure Magpro system; 600 pulses with the active sham coil (double blinded using the integrated active sham system). The MagVenture MagPro system has an integrated active sham that passes current through two surface electrodes placed on the scalp. The electrodes are placed on the left frontalis muscle under the coil for both the real and sham stimulation sessions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    collaborator NIH

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

    collaborator NIH

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
21 Years
Max Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-07-06
Primary Completion
2026-12-31
Completion
2026-12-31
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04998916 on ClinicalTrials.gov