TMS Augmented Exposure Therapy (BEAT)

Wuerzburg University Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Phobia

Treatments: Device: Experimental: Sham TMS; Device: Experimental: Verum TMS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02223767

Wuerzburg177/12

098_MH (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates the beneficial effects of prefrontal brain stimulation (with a facilitating TMS protocol) before exposure therapy in acrophobic patients. The two exposure sessions were realized in virtual reality. Before and after therapy, the phobic symptoms were measured on a subjective, behavioral and physiological level. The placebo-controlled single blinded study includes 50 phobic patients, which were randomized into verum or sham TMS.

Enrollment: 47 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Criteria for a simple phobia: specific heights

Exclusion criteria

Objective tinnitus Involvement in psychiatric treatments Clinically relevant psychiatric comorbidity Clinically relevant unstable internal or neurological comorbidity History of or evidence of significant brain malformation or neoplasm, head injury Cerebral vascular events Neurodegenerative disorder affecting the brain or prior brain surgery Metal objects in and around body that can not be removed Pregnancy Alcohol or drug abuse history of seizures

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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47 participants in 2 patient groups

Verum transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Experimental group

Description:

10 Hz TMS over medial prefrontal cortex

Treatment:

Device: Experimental: Verum TMS

Sham transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Experimental group

Description:

10 Hz sham TMS over medial prefrontal cortex

Treatment:

Device: Experimental: Sham TMS