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Neuromodulation of the Fear Extinction Circuit Using Temporally and Anatomically Specific TMS in Humans

NCT05368987 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 250

Last updated 2026-05-05

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study aims to explore the mechanisms of how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) impacts fear circuits. The overarching objectives are to understand how varying TMS parameters affect targeted brain regions in order to optimize its impact on enhancing fear extinction memory consolidation in a population with known fear extinction deficiencies: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 250 subjects will take part in this research study across UTHealth Houston. The study will include preliminary screenings, baseline visits, and experimental visits across four days

Conditions

Interventions

DEVICE

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Research subjects will undergo non-invasive TMS, with a frequency of 20Hz and intensity of 120% of their resting motor threshold (rMT) at varying time points and locations.

BEHAVIORAL

Fear Conditioning and Extinction Paradigm

Participants will undergo a 3-day experimental paradigm. On day 1, participants will undergo a resting-state and structural scans in the fMRI scanner. The data from this scan will be used to determine the specific location of the TMS target for each participant. And participants will be aversively conditioned to two cues in the fMRI scanner. Task based and resting-state scans will occur on this day. On day 2, subjects will undergo extinction training outside of the scanner where one of the conditioned cues will be paired with TMS in a temporally and anatomically specific manner. A resting-state scan will occur before and after inside the scanner. On day 3, conditioned cues will be presented during the extinction recall phase of the study. This phase will be conducted in the fMRI scanner. Task-based and resting-state scans will occur on this day.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    collaborator NIH

  • The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Mohammed Milad, PhD · The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston)

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
70 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2022-02-01
Primary Completion
2028-09-30
Completion
2028-09-30
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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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 NCT05368987 on ClinicalTrials.gov