PILOT Phase: BPD Study

NCT07223619 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 23-1207
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This pilot study aims to identify the area of the brain best suited for the treatment of Borderline Personality disorder (BPD). The study investigators will test whether repetitiveTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a gentle non-invasive brain stimulation method, can improve regulation of emotions and impulsivity in individuals with BPD. This study will enroll up to 20 participants. Participant will be consented for the study remotely via a secure internet platform called Zoom. Participants will undergo 1 Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI scan and up to 3 brain stimulation of transcranial magnetic stimulation or TMS sessions, and cognitive behavioral testing on a computer. Participants will complete 4 in-person visits over the course of up to 3 weeks.

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Keywords

BPD; Borderline Personality Disorder

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Delay Discounting Task (Odum, 2011)

  The Delay Discounting Task (DDT) is cognitive behavioral task performed to evaluate how individuals value rewards over time. It measures the tendency of individuals to prefer smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed ones. This behavior is known as delay discounting.

  Baseline, Visit 4 (up to 3 weeks)

• Cognitive Reappraisal of Social Exclusion Pain Task (Zhao et al., 2021)

  This task involves a comparison between a social exclusion group and a social inclusion group, and uses a pain-induction or pain-stimulus paradigm to measure the effects of social exclusion on individuals' perception and regulation of pain

  Baseline, Visit 4 (up to 3 weeks)

Study Arms (1)

Stimulation to Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex

EXPERIMENTAL

Each subjects will receive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS to 3 different brain regions in 3 separate study visits spaced by at least 4 days (order randomized and counterbalanced amongst subjects). 1. Right Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex or VLPFC 2. Left VLPFC 3. Bilateral: left and right VLPFC within 1 session The experimenters will utilize the MagVenture MagPro X100 stimulator equipped with the Cool B70 coil stimulate The TMS protocol includes 1800 pulses of excitatory intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) at 120% MT intensity. This protocol will take less than 9 minutes (for each target).

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Interventions

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) DEVICE

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. Using pulsed magnetic fields, transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy stimulates the part of the brain thought to be involved with mood regulation. These magnetic fields do not directly affect the whole brain; they only reach about 2-3 centimeters into the brain directly beneath the treatment coil.As these magnetic fields move into the brain, they produce very small electrical currents. These electrical currents activate cells within the brain, causing them to rewire, a process called neuroplasticity.

Stimulation to Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Age of 18-65
• DSM-5 Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) based upon a psychiatric evaluation and ZAN-BPD scale
• Fluent English speaker
• Ability to give informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Medical conditions that prevent TMS or MRI to be performed safely upon evaluation by the study psychiatrist
• Active alcohol or drug abuse of such severity that it would pose a risk for TMS administration (i.e., unstable motor thresholds or increased risk for seizure)
• Active suicidal plan
• Current diagnosis of Psychotic or Bipolar disorders

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of California, Los Angeles: lead

Study Sites (1)

Semel Institute/ UCLA TMS

Los Angeles, California, 90024, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Interventions

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personality Disorders; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Magnetic Field Therapy; Therapeutics

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 27, 2025
• First Posted: November 3, 2025
• Study Start: January 5, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Last Updated: February 3, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01

Locations

US (1)