Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation to Reduce Cannabis Use in Heavy Cannabis Users
Recruiting now · Not applicable · Has a placebo group
Conditions studied: Cannabis
In brief
The growing legalization of cannabis across the U.S. is associated with increases in cannabis use, and accordingly, an increase in the number of individuals with cannabis use problems, including cannabis use disorder (CUD). While there are several medications being investigated as treatment options for CUD, none have been FDA-approved, and there is limited efficacy of traditional behavioral therapy approaches for this population. Consequently, there is a pressing need for the development of new treatments, including approaches that specifically target the brain areas associated with problematic cannabis use behaviors. Elevated attention to drug cues is one of the primary causes of relapse in heavy cannabis users. Preliminary data suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, may be a novel brain-based tool to decrease heightened attention to drug cues in people with CUD. Building on prior data, the primary goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of TMS as a tool to decrease attention to drug cues and reduce cannabis use. In this study, fifty (50) treatment-seeking, near-daily cannabis users will be recruited to receive either active or sham (placebo) repetitive TMS (rTMS). Participants will complete a total of 25 treatment sessions, delivered as five sessions per day across five days, with sessions flexibly scheduled over a two-week period. Measures of cannabis use and brain activity will be collected before and after treatment using real-time self-report assessments and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), respectively. Specifically, cannabis use will be assessed in participants' everyday environments using brief text-message surveys during a two-week baseline period, the two-week treatment period, and a four-week follow-up period. The study aims to determine whether active rTMS reduces brain activity in response to cannabis cues, decreases automatic attention to cannabis cues, and leads to meaningful reductions in cannabis use compared to sham treatment.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT05401929
- Run by
- Duke University
- People needed
- 50
- Starts
- 2022-06-01
- Expected to finish
- 2029-07-01
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-07-13
Who can join
Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Males/non-pregnant females, 18-65 years old
- Current cannabis user
- Able to perform all study procedures
You may not qualify if…
- Regular use of other illicit drugs
- If medical history, physical and psychiatric examination, or laboratory tests performed during the screening process reveal any significant illness that the study physician deems contraindicated for study participation
Where it is running
- Duke University Medical Center — Durham, North Carolina, United States (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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