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CompletedNCT07706790Updated Jul 16, 2026

Blinding Integrity Assessment Using Rotational Field Transcranial Magnetic Stimualtion (rfTMS) in Healthy Adults

An interventional study of Sham rfTMS and Active rfTMS in Healthy Volunteers, sponsored by Soroka University Medical Center. Completed at 1 site in Israel. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-16.

Sponsored by Soroka University Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study evaluates the effectiveness of an improved blinding method using rotational field transcranial magnetic stimulation (rfTMS) delivered through a multi-channel deep coil system (Brainsway, Jerusalem, Israel). Healthy volunteers receive a single session of either Active or Sham stimulation over the medial prefrontal cortex. The study assesses whether the Sham condition sufficiently masks the sensory characteristics of Active stimulation. Findings will support the optimization of blinding procedures for future deep TMS (dTMS) trials.

Read the detailed description

Effective Sham blinding is essential for the validity of deep TMS (dTMS) clinical trials. Existing Sham methods often fail to adequately mimic the sensory experience of Active stimulation, allowing participants to infer their treatment allocation. This prospective, randomized, double-blind study examines blinding integrity using rotational field transcranial magnetic stimulation (rfTMS) implemented on a multi-channel deep coil system (Brainsway, Jerusalem, Israel). Participants receive either Active stimulation or a Sham condition matched for coil placement, auditory and tactile experience but without inducing field in the brain. Results will inform the design of future dTMS studies.

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy Volunteers

Keywords

  • Noninvasive Brain Stimulation
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
  • Rotational Field TMS (rfTMS)
  • Deep Coil TMS (dTMS)
  • Multi-Channel
  • Sham-Blinding
  • Masking Method
  • Ramp-Up/Down
  • Healthy
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy adults aged 18-65
  • Hebrew or English speakers
  • No neurological, psychiatric, or developmental disorders
  • No contraindications for TMS
  • Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of seizure
  • Metal implants in the head or neck
  • Pacemakers or implanted stimulators
  • Pregnancy
  • Current psychoactive medication affecting seizure threshold
  • Any contraindication listed in standard TMS safety guidelines
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment
60 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Active rotational field transcranial magnetic stimulation (rfTMS)

    Device: Active rfTMS

  • Sham comparator
    Sham rfTMS

    Device: Sham rfTMS

Interventions

  • DeviceSham rfTMS

    Participants receive a single session of Sham rfTMS matched for coil placement, auditory and tactile output but without inducing field in the brain. Stimulation parameters are identical as in Active rfTMS.

  • DeviceActive rfTMS

    Participants receive a single session of 10 HZ high-frequence Active rfTMS delivered via a multi-channel with deep coil system over the medial prefrontal cortex. Stimulation lasts \~20 minutes and consists of 100 trains, 3 seconds each, separated by 9-seconds inter-train intervals (3000 pulses in total), delivered at 90% of individual foot motor cortex resting motor threshold.

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Blinding response distribution

    Distribution of participant responses on a five-scale blinding questionnaire indicating perceived stimulation type (Active vs Sham), reported as the proportion of participants selecting each response category.

    Time frame: Immediately post-session

06

Study locations

1 site
  • Soroke University Medical Center
    Beersheba, Israel
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared. Summary results may be published in scientific journals.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07706790
Lead sponsor
Soroka University Medical Center
Collaborators
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Responsible party
Iuly Treger MD (Director of Rehabilitation Department, Soroka University Medical Center) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 16, 2026
Start date
Sep 9, 2025
Primary completion
Dec 18, 2025
Completion
Jul 5, 2026
Last update
Jul 16, 2026

Study contacts

Alona Ron Levy, PhD Candidate in Neuroscience
study director · Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Iuly Treger, MD, Professor
principal investigator · Soroka University Medical Center
Abraham Zangen, Professor
study chair · Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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