Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulations in Patients With Amphetamine Use Disorders

Summary

Amphetamine Use Disorder (AUD) is a major public health issue in Taiwan, where it is the most commonly abused illegal drug. There are currently no effective approved medications to treat it, which makes finding new treatment options urgent. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation method, has shown promise in reducing cravings and drug use in people with addiction, but its effects on AUD are not well studied.

To explore this, the investigators plan to conduct a double-blind, sham-controlled study with 20 people diagnosed with AUD. Half will receive real rTMS treatment, and half will receive a placebo-like sham treatment. The treatment targets a specific brain area (the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and will be given 10 times over two weeks.

The investigators will assess the effectiveness of rTMS by tracking drug cravings, urine test results, and side effects with follow-up over 12 weeks. The investigators also include brain imaging using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) after the treatment.

The study aims to better understand how rTMS might help reduce amphetamine cravings and improve outcomes, potentially leading to new treatment options for AUD.

Conditions

• Amphetamine Use Disorders
• Amphetamine Use Disorder
• Amphetamine Dependence
• Amphetamine Abuse
• NIRS
• rTMS
• rTMS Stimulation

Interventions

DEVICE

repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

Targeting: The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) will be the target for treatment. Equipment: rTMS will be delivered using a Magstim super rapid magnetic stimulator with a 70-mm air-cooled figure-eight-shaped coil. Resting Motor Threshold (rMT) Measurement: rMT is determined through visual twitch responses in the contralateral hand, identifying the minimal intensity needed to elicit thumb movement in 50% of trials. rTMS will be administered at a frequency of 15Hz, with each pulse at 100% rMT intensity. Sessions include 60 pulses per train, with a 26-second inter-train pause, across 40 trains, totaling 2400 pulses over a 20-minute session.

DEVICE

sham for repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

The sham group will undergo a placebo procedure using the same rTMS parameters but with a figure-of-eight sham coil, following precedents set by studies on cocaine use disorder treatment (Terraneo et al., 2016).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• TsaoTun Psychiatric Center, Department of Health, Taiwan

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Ching-Hua Julie Lee, MD., MPH · Tsaotun Psychiatric Center, Ministry of Health and Welfare

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-05-15

Primary Completion

2025-12-31

Completion

2025-12-31

Countries

• Taiwan

Study Locations