An interventional study of TMS 1 hz and Sham TMS in PTSD, sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 19 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-18.
Sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common and serious condition affecting many Veterans. There are effective treatments for PTSD, but additional treatments are needed in order to better serve Veterans suffering from PTSD. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is one such promising treatment. It involves use of powerful magnet to stimulate the specific brain regions in Veterans with PTSD. Transcranial magnetic stimulation has been shown effective in treating depression, but currently it is unclear if it is an effective treatment for PTSD. This is a randomized clinical trial enrolling 91 Veterans with PTSD comparing the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment and sham transcranial magnetic stimulation in treating PTSD. The hypothesis is that those who receive transcranial magnetic stimulation will experience improved functioning.
Background Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an often chronic and disabling condition prevalent in the Veteran population. While there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of medications and psychotherapy for improving PTSD symptoms, there has been limited study of functioning as an outcome, and the role of other treatments such as somatic therapies. One promising but understudied somatic treatment for PTSD is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The characteristics of TMS treatment are different than those of existing treatments and may provide alternative treatment to Veterans who do not respond to medications and psychotherapy. Further, it is possible that TMS may have a greater effect on functioning and lead to higher rates of recovery compared with medications or psychotherapy.
Objective To determine whether Veteran participants with PTSD who receive TMS delivered to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 1 Hz have greater improvements in: PTSD symptoms, functioning, and depressive symptoms than Veterans receiving sham treatments at treatment completion and at 3 and 6 months after treatment completion.
Method 91 Veterans with PTSD will be randomly assigned to receive low frequency TMS or sham TMS. All TMS will be applied to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. PTSD symptoms, functional outcomes, and depressive symptoms will be measured for all participants at treatment completion, 3 months, and 6 months after completion.
Hypothesis Veterans with PTSD receiving TMS will have greater improvements in PTSD symptoms, functioning, and depressive symptoms at treatment completion and at three and six months after treatment completion compared to Veterans receiving sham TMS.
2,239 studies on the registry are indexed under Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; 554 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 59 is below the median of 70 across 1,858 interventional studies indexed under Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic.
Browse Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic studies →VA Office of Research and Development is the lead sponsor of 1,733 studies on the registry; 396 are open to participants now.
Of its 206 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 180 (87%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at 1 Hz
Device: TMS 1 hz
sham transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
Device: Sham TMS
High-performance magnetic stimulator designed for clinical use or use in clinical trials. This specific device has a coil designed with one side that delivers active treatment and the other side that delivers sham (no stimulation) treatment. The sham side is externally identical to the active side, but internally it has a shield that prevents any magnetic energy from interacting with the patient. This arm will use the active side.
Also known as: MagPro R30 TMS device produced by MagVenture
High-performance magnetic stimulator designed for clinical use or use in clinical trials. This specific device has a coil designed with one side that delivers active treatment and the other side that delivers sham (no stimulation) treatment. The sham side is externally identical to the active side, but internally it has a shield that prevents any magnetic energy from interacting with the patient. This arm will use the sham side.
Also known as: MagPro R30 TMS device produced by MagVenture
CAPS
The Clinician-administered scale of PTSD symptoms (CAPS) queries the frequency and intensity of symptoms of PTSD. The score ranges from 0-80 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and symptoms assessment in PTSD clinical studies.
Time frame: Baseline
WHODAS
The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) is a 36 item self-report instrument that assesses disability and function across six domains: communicating, getting around, self-care, getting along with people, life activities, and participation in society. The WHODAS has been used as an outcome of function and disability across many disorders and is commonly used in mental health treatment trials. The total score ranges from 0-100 with a higher score indicating worse functioning.
Time frame: Baseline
QIDS SR-16
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS SR-16) is a 16-item self-report measure of depression. The QIDS SR-16 includes nine domains that relate to the nine primary symptoms of major depressive disorder in the DSM-IV. The score ranges from 0-27 with a higher score indicating worse depression.
Time frame: Baseline
CAPS
The Clinician-administered scale of PTSD symptoms (CAPS) queries the frequency and intensity of symptoms of PTSD. The score ranges from 0-80 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and symptoms assessment in PTSD clinical studies.
Time frame: 2 weeks
CAPS
The Clinician-administered scale of PTSD symptoms (CAPS) queries the frequency and intensity of symptoms of PTSD. The score ranges from 0-80 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and symptoms assessment in PTSD clinical studies.
Time frame: 3 months
CAPS
The Clinician-administered scale of PTSD symptoms (CAPS) queries the frequency and intensity of symptoms of PTSD. The score ranges from 0-80 with a higher score indicating worse symptoms. It is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and symptoms assessment in PTSD clinical studies.
Time frame: 6 months
WHODAS
The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) is a 36 item self-report instrument that assesses disability and function across six domains: communicating, getting around, self-care, getting along with people, life activities, and participation in society. The WHODAS has been used as an outcome of function and disability across many disorders and is commonly used in mental health treatment trials. The total score ranges from 0-100 with a higher score indicating worse functioning.
Time frame: 2 weeks
WHODAS
The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) is a 36 item self-report instrument that assesses disability and function across six domains: communicating, getting around, self-care, getting along with people, life activities, and participation in society. The WHODAS has been used as an outcome of function and disability across many disorders and is commonly used in mental health treatment trials. The total score ranges from 0-100 with a higher score indicating worse functioning.
Time frame: 3 months
WHODAS
The World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) is a 36 item self-report instrument that assesses disability and function across six domains: communicating, getting around, self-care, getting along with people, life activities, and participation in society. The WHODAS has been used as an outcome of function and disability across many disorders and is commonly used in mental health treatment trials. The total score ranges from 0-100 with a higher score indicating worse functioning.
Time frame: 6 months
QIDS SR-16
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS SR-16) is a 16-item self-report measure of depression. The QIDS SR-16 includes nine domains that relate to the nine primary symptoms of major depressive disorder in the DSM-IV. The score ranges from 0-27 with a higher score indicating worse depression.
Time frame: 2 weeks
QIDS SR-16
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS SR-16) is a 16-item self-report measure of depression. The QIDS SR-16 includes nine domains that relate to the nine primary symptoms of major depressive disorder in the DSM-IV. The score ranges from 0-27 with a higher score indicating worse depression.
Time frame: 3 months
QIDS SR-16
The Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS SR-16) is a 16-item self-report measure of depression. The QIDS SR-16 includes nine domains that relate to the nine primary symptoms of major depressive disorder in the DSM-IV. The score ranges from 0-27 with a higher score indicating worse depression.
Time frame: 6 months
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Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic→
VA Office of Research and Development