Trial results for a pilot study investigating Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS) for comorbid Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Depression were posted on 2025-06-17. The study observed PCL-5 total score changes of 50.1 for active sTMS and 49.2 for sham sTMS.
Background
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression frequently co-occur, presenting significant challenges for patients and clinicians. Current treatments for these comorbid conditions can vary in effectiveness. Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS) is being explored as a potential therapeutic approach to address both PTSD and mood symptoms, with the hypothesis that it could offer an effective intervention.
Trial design
This completed pilot study, which did not specify a phase, enrolled 23 participants. The trial investigated Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (sTMS) in patients with PTSD and Depression. The study was designed as a sham-controlled trial, comparing an active sTMS intervention (NEST-1) against a sham sTMS intervention. The primary focus of the key measurements was the change in PCL-5 Total Score.
Key results
The study collected key measurements related to the PCL-5 Total Score Change:
- For the Active sTMS (NEST-1) group, the mean PCL-5 Total Score Change was 50.1 (Standard Deviation 7.4) units on a scale.
- For the Sham sTMS (SHAM) group, the mean PCL-5 Total Score Change was 49.2 (Standard Deviation 9.3) units on a scale.
What this means
The results indicate that the mean change in PCL-5 Total Score was very similar between the active sTMS group (50.1) and the sham sTMS group (49.2). The PCL-5 scale is commonly used to assess PTSD symptom severity. While this was a small pilot study, the observed similarity in mean scores between the active and sham interventions suggests that further investigation would be needed to determine the specific efficacy of sTMS for PTSD and comorbid depression based on this particular outcome measure.
Source
The information for these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public registry of clinical studies. The results for study NCT02981381, titled "Synchronized Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for PTSD", were posted on 2025-06-17 on clinicaltrials.gov.