rTMS (noninvasive brain stimulation) for borderline personality disorder
CLINICAL TRIAL: Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder by Targeting Ventrolateral Prefrontal-amygdala Circuit With Network-based Neuronavigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
This project will try rTMS brain stimulation to see if it reduces symptoms in adults with borderline personality disorder.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 30 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of California, Los Angeles Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Los Angeles, California and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07197502 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, double-blind study will enroll up to 30 adults diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Participants are assigned to active or sham rTMS and may receive up to 30 stimulation sessions over about 2.5 months, with sham participants offered an additional 15 active sessions. Study procedures include up to two MRI scans, two EEG recordings, computerized symptom assessments and cognitive tasks targeting impulsivity and emotion regulation, and require a minimum of 17 in-person visits; consent is completed remotely via Zoom. Outcomes will compare changes in BPD, depression, and anxiety symptom scales as well as neurobehavioral measures between groups.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults aged 18–65 with a DSM-5 diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, fluent in English, able to give informed consent, and able to attend frequent in-person visits are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients who cannot commit to the required in-person visit schedule, who have contraindications to MRI/EEG, or who do not meet the diagnostic criteria are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, rTMS could reduce emotional dysregulation and impulsivity in BPD patients without surgery and with minimal medication changes.
How similar studies have performed: TMS is well established for depression and has shown preliminary, mixed promise in small BPD pilot studies, so this approach is promising but not yet proven for BPD.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
* Age of 18-65 * DSM-5 Diagnosis of BPD based upon a psychiatric evaluation and ZAN-BPD * Fluent English speaker * Signed informed consent
Where this trial is running
Los Angeles, California and 1 other locations
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA — Los Angeles, California, United States (Recruiting)
- Semel Institute/ UCLA TMS — Los Angeles, California, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Elizabeth Pinkerton
- Email: EPinkerton@mednet.ucla.edu
- Phone: 310-794-0331
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.