Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Alcohol Use Disorder

NCT07755046 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: SF24002CNSTC 113-2314-B-075A-006
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 9
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study looked at whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation treatment, could help adults with alcohol use disorder when added to their usual treatment. Nine adults receiving abstinence-oriented care received 10 sessions of stimulation over the right front part of the brain. Drinking severity, mood, craving and quality of life were assessed before treatment, immediately after the 10 sessions, and again at one and three months. Brain scans were also obtained at these visits to examine whether stimulation was associated with changes in brain connections. The study had no comparison group, so the results cannot show whether any change was caused by the stimulation.

Conditions

Alcoholism; Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)

Keywords

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; Resting-state functional MRI; Diffusion tensor imaging; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Pilot study

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) total score

  AUDIT total score, range 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating more severe alcohol-related problems. Change from baseline was assessed at each follow-up.

  Baseline, after the tenth stimulation session (median 2 days), 1 month, and 3 months

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Change in Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score

  Baseline, after the tenth stimulation session (median 2 days), 1 month, and 3 months

• Change in craving visual analogue scale score

  Baseline, after the tenth stimulation session (median 2 days), 1 month, and 3 months

• Change in WHOQOL-BREF total score

  Baseline, after the tenth stimulation session (median 2 days), 1 month, and 3 months

• Change in resting-state functional connectivity

  Baseline, after the tenth stimulation session (median 2 days), 1 month, and 3 months

• Change in white matter diffusion metrics

  Baseline, after the tenth stimulation session (median 2 days), 1 month, and 3 months

Study Arms (1)

Active rTMS

EXPERIMENTAL

Ten sessions of active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F4), at 10 Hz and 110% of the visually determined resting motor threshold, 60 trains of five seconds each, 3,000 pulses per session over approximately 30 minutes, delivered on consecutive weekdays. All participants received active stimulation in addition to usual abstinence-oriented care, which included pharmacological and psychosocial treatment that was not protocolized.

Device: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Interventions

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation DEVICE

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Active rTMS

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged 20 to 65 years
• Diagnosis of alcohol use disorder according to DSM-5 criteria
• Able to provide written informed consent and complete study procedures

You may not qualify if:

• Moderate to severe alcohol withdrawal
• Psychiatric symptoms interfering with alcohol use disorder treatment
• Acute physical illness requiring hospitalization
• Standard contraindications to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
• Pregnancy or planned pregnancy within one year
• Formal disability certification related to a psychiatric disorder

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ting-Gang Chang: lead

Study Sites (1)

Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Taichung, Taiwan, 407219, Taiwan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcoholism

Interventions

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Magnetic Field Therapy; Therapeutics

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Chief, Division of Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

Model Details: Originally designed as a two-arm, randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial. Funding constraints and recruitment difficulty prevented completion of that design; all enrolled participants received active stimulation and the study was conducted as a single-arm, open-label pilot.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2026
• First Posted: August 10, 2026
• Study Start: June 10, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 14, 2026
• Study Completion: June 14, 2026
• Last Updated: August 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TW (1)