Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (iTBS) as an add-on to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in the Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Aarhus University Hospital
- Where
- Denmark3 sites in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
- Trial code
- Status
- Not yet recruiting
- People taking part
- 15 people, planned
- Started
- Jul 2026
- Expected to end
- Jun 2027
- Type of study
- Interventional
- Treatments tested
- Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (iTBS)
- Record updated
- 9 July 2026
Who can take part
- Age
- 18 years to 70 years
- Sex
- Women and men
- Healthy volunteers
- Cannot take part
The registry criteria, word for word
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Who can take part
- Age 18-70 years
- ICD-10 criteria for PTSD (F43.1)
- A minimum total score of 4 (moderately ill) on the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S)
- Likely to be able to complete trial participation (16 weeks) without modifications to psychopharmacological treatment, as per the referring doctor's or psychologist's assessment
- Participants must be able and willing to abstain from alcohol consumption during the iTBS treatment period, as required by the TMS Safety Checklist
Who cannot take part
- Organic mental disorders (F0)
- Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (F2), manic episode (F30), or bipolar affective disorder (F31); iv) Mental retardation (estimated IQ <70, as per the referring doctor's or psychologist's assessment)
- Currently fulfills the criteria of Active psychoactive substance use or dependence (F1)
- Active suicidality
- Any ongoing involuntary/coercive measures
- Any contraindications listed on the TMS Safety Checklist
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 70 years old?
This trial has no sites in United States.
It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
This open-label pilot study will evaluate the feasibility, safety, tolerability, and preliminary clinical outcomes of adding intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who show insufficient improvement after an initial course of EMDR.
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Participants will receive weekly EMDR therapy. After seven EMDR sessions, treatment response will be assessed using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I). Participants with insufficient response will receive add-on iTBS targeted to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for four weeks while continuing EMDR. Feasibility outcomes include adherence, treatment completion, and dropout rates. Clinical outcomes will include clinician-rated and self-reported measures of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, well-being, and adverse events.
The group in the trial
- EMDR with add-on iTBSTreatment being tested
Participants receive weekly Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for up to 16 weeks. After seven EMDR sessions, treatment response is assessed using the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I). Participants with insufficient response receive adjunctive intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) to the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 20 sessions over 4 weeks while continuing EMDR. Participants with sufficient response continue EMDR treatment alone.
Treatment: Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (iTBS)
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (iTBS) as an add-on to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) in the Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): An Open-label Pilot Study
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT07693088, who can take part
- Record updated
- 9 July 2026