Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Treat Prolonged Grief Disorder

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Prolonged Grief Disorder, Complicated Grief

In brief

Grief is a normal response after the death of a loved one. With time, the grief response decreases and people learn to cope with their loss. However, for some, the response becomes more intense and distressing. This is called prolonged grief disorder (PGD). People with PGD experience emotional pain and a deep longing for their loved one. PGD normally occurs \<10% of people after a loss, but it has become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic (\~30%). If left untreated, PGD leads to poor quality of life and increased risk of death. Treatment options such as medication and therapy are available; however, they can cause negative side effects and take a long time to work. To help individuals with PGD, we need treatments that work well and quickly. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a safe, non-invasive treatment that delivers magnetic pulses to brain areas responsible for mood. rTMS has been approved in Canada to treat mood disorders. There is research to show that rTMS is safe and well-tolerated, and that works well in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition with similar symptoms to PGD. To determine whether rTMS is effective for treating PGD, we first need to determine if rTMS as a treatment for PGD is safe and feasible among grieving individuals.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06953596

Run by

Bruyère Health Research Institute.

People needed

15

Starts

2025-11-28

Expected to finish

2027-09-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-07-10

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Bereaved individuals >/= 18 years of age
• Score >25 on the Inventory of Complicated Grief
• Must have a primary care physician
• Ability to understand and communicate in English
• Ability to provide first-person informed consent

You may not qualify if…

• Current or previously diagnosed seizure disorder
• Documented brain lesions
• Contraindications to TMS (i.e., metallic skull plates, clips, stimulators, pacemakers)
• Current substance abuse disorder (e.g., schizophrenia)
• Pregnancy or lactation, or trying to conceive
• Advanced, incurable illness with an expected prognosis of <3 months - bereaved family members are known to be at elevated risk of death from medical illness, but if death is expected in the near future, it would be difficult to justify using an entire week of their limited time for an unproven therapy.

Where it is running

• Bruyere Health — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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