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Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Versus Theta Burst Stimulation on Impulsivity, Emotional Dysregulation, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Borderline Personality Disorder Patients

Key facts

Who runs it
Ain Shams University
Where
Egypt1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
45 people, planned
Started
1 Dec 2025
Expected to end
Aug 2027
Type of study
Interventional, 3 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
  • Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation
  • Sham Stimulation
Record updated
5 November 2026

Who can take part

Age
21 years to 50 years
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

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Who can take part

  • 1. Age range: 21-50 years old. 2. Gender: males and females 3. Borderline personality disorder diagnosis

Who cannot take part

  • 1. Presence of other uncontrolled mental illness that precludes the ability to provide informed consent (e.g.; acute psychosis, bipolar disorder currently in manic episode, major depressive disorder with recent suicidal attempt)
  • Patients with contraindications to TMS as cardiac patients with pacemakers, metallic implants as cochlear implants, aneurysm clips, stents, and deep brain stimulation electrodes

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 21 and 50 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

the goal of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The study aims to assess whether these brain stimulation techniques can reduce symptoms of emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and non-suicidal self-injury.

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The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does high-frequency rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) improve emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and non-suicidal self-injury in patients with BPD? Does intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the left DLPFC produce similar therapeutic effects? How does the efficacy of rTMS and iTBS compare to sham stimulation after completing the treatment course?

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:

1. High-frequency rTMS group 2. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) group 3. Sham stimulation group Each participant will receive 15-20 stimulation sessions over the left DLPFC. Changes in emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and non-suicidal self-injury symptoms will be evaluated before and after treatment.

The 3 groups in the trial

  • Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic StimulationExisting treatment, for comparison

    Participants receive 15-20 sessions of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Each session lasts approximately 21 minutes.

  • Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation GroupExisting treatment, for comparison

    Participants receive 15-20 sessions of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Each session lasts approximately 21 minutes.

    Treatment: Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation

  • Sham Stimulation GroupSham treatment, for comparison

    Participants receive sham stimulation sessions identical in duration and sound to the active conditions but without active magnetic output.

    Treatment: Sham Stimulation

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Versus Theta Burst Stimulation on Impulsivity, Emotional Dysregulation, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in a Sample of Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Fit questions
Built from NCT07919587, who can take part
Record updated
5 November 2026