Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to People With Cannabis Use Disorder (SToP-C-rTMS x CUD)

NCT05292547 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: UW21-656
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is to explore if repetitive transcrinal magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with different stimulation schedules will be equally effective in reducing carving, frequency of cannabis use, and the severity of cannabis use disorder in participants suffering from cannabis use disorder (CUD). The investigators assume the hypotheses as:

1. 1.Multiple rTMS sessions can reduce craving for cannabis, severity of CUD, frequency and amount of cannabis use.
2. 2.Different rTMS treatment schedules have differences in reducing the craving for cannabis and severity of CUD, and prolonging relapse of cannabis use.

Conditions

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Cannabis Use Disorder

Keywords

Cannabis; TMS

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• A change in amount of cannabis use

  Subject's self-report on the amount of cannabis use (in terms of number of joints per day) at baseline to the amount of use at 2nd week, 4th week, 5th week, 3rd month, 6th month and 12-month post-treatment with rTMS

  12 months

• A change in frequency of Cannabis Use

  Subject's self-repot on the frequency of cannabis use (in terms of number of times of use per day and/or per week) at baseline to that at 2nd week, 4th week, 5th week, 3rd month, 6th month and 12-month post-treatment with rTMS

  12 months

• Severity of Cannabis Use Disorder

  A change in severity of cannabis use disorder measured by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) with severity ranges from 0 to 11 (maximum severity) from baseline to that at 2nd week, 4th week, 5th week, 3rd month, 6th month and 12-month post-treatment with rTMS

  12 months

• Severity of Dependence

  A change in scorings measured by the Severity of Dependence Scale (ranges from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 20) from baseline to that at 2nd week, 4th week, 5th week, 3rd month, 6th month and 12-month post-treatment with rTMS

  12 months

• Craving

  A change in scorings measured by Marijuana Craving Questionnaire (ranges from a minimum of 17 to a maximum of 119) from baseline to to that at 2nd week, 4th week, 5th week, 3rd month, 6th month and 12-month post-treatment with rTMS

  12 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Level of Anxiety

  12 months

• Level of Depression

  12 months

Study Arms (3)

Arm 1

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects receive 20 rTMS sessions in 2 weeks

Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Arm 2

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects receive 20 rTMS sessions in 4 weeks

Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Arm 3

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Subjects receive 20 rTMS sessions in 5 weeks

Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Interventions

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation DEVICE

rTMS using Magventure TMS system is delivered at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of consented subjects according to 3 different stimulation schedules.

Arm 1; Arm 2; Arm 3

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Able to read and communicate in English and/or Chinese SToP-C-rTMS x CUD
• Able to give informed consent
• Using cannabis or marijuana as the primary psychoactive substance of abuse
• Diagnosed with Cannabis Use Disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5) by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (SCID-5)

You may not qualify if:

• Age \<18 years old
• Unable to read English or Chinese
• Unable to give informed consent
• Had been diagnosed with the following disorders, including neurodevelopmental disorders, DSM-5 defined substance use disorder greater than moderate in severity, and neurocognitive disorders
• Contra-indicated to have rTMS, including subjects with electronic and/or magnetic implants (e.g. pacemaker, implantable cardioverter defibrillator \[ICD\], cerebral shunts, cochlear implant, etc.), with metallic or mechanic fragments (e.g., screws, plates, stents, clips, etc.), pregnant, with any known or history of neurological conditions including cerebral vascular accidents, epilepsy, brain tumor or space occupying lesion, poorly controlled or unstable diabetes mellitus, and receiving unstable dose(s) of antipsychotics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and/or anticonvulsants in the past 6 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

Queen Mary Hospital

Hong Kong, 000000, Hong Kong

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Marijuana Abuse

Interventions

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Magnetic Field Therapy; Therapeutics

Study Officials

• Albert KK Chung, MBBS

  Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 13, 2022
• First Posted: March 23, 2022
• Study Start: September 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: March 31, 2025
• Study Completion: March 31, 2025
• Last Updated: July 8, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Locations

HK (1)