Methamphetamine Use DisorderNCT06712446
A Pilot Study of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Plus Episodic Future Thinking for Methamphetamine Use Disorder
A study testing EFT and high frequency rTMS in people with Methamphetamine Use Disorder, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to assess impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)+Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) vs. sham rTMS+EFT on delay discounting and methamphetamine (MA) demand, on vividness of future positive events during EFT training and on frequency of episodic thinking during the week… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Methamphetamine Use Disorder
- What is being tested?
- EFT and high frequency rTMS
- Type of treatment
- Medical device, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 14 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 31 Mar 2025to 15 Sep 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for primary methamphetamine use disorder
- Be fluent in English and able to understand the consent form
Who cannot join
- Current DSM-5 diagnosis for any illicit substance use disorder other than methamphetamine and marijuana
- Current DSM-5 diagnosis of moderate or greater severity for alcohol and marijuana use disorder
- In the opinion of the PI, the presence of any medical, neurological, psychiatric (e.g., psychotic or bipolar disorder), or physical condition, disease, or illness that, may: (a) compromise, interfere, limit, effect or reduce the subject's ability to complete the study; or (b) adversely impact the safety of the subject or the integrity of the data
- Has current or recent (within 3 months of potential enrollment) suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, homicidal ideation or a homicidal plan sufficient to raise subject safety concerns based on the following assessments according to the PI:
- Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5)
- Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) Screening - Answers YES to Questions 3, 4, 5, or 6
Show all 29Show fewer
- Assault \& homicidal danger assessment tool - Key to danger >1
- Medical implants contraindicating TMS (i.e., aneurysm clips or coils, stents, implanted stimulators, implanted vagus nerve or deep brain stimulators, implanted electrical devices such as pacemakers or medication pumps, electrodes for monitoring brain activity, cochlear implants for hearing, any magnetic implants, bullet fragments, any other metal device or object implanted in your body closer than 30 cm from the coil)
- History of brain surgery
- History of an intracranial lesion or any medical or neurological diagnosis/condition associated with increased intracranial pressure (i.e., Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension/Pseudotumor Cerebri) OR any of the following symptoms within 30 days of enrollment: headaches > 15 days/month, loss of vision or decreased vision
- Moderate-to-severe heart disease
- History of stroke
- Is taking any antidepressant or antipsychotic medication at a dose above the maximum recommended dose or at a dose deemed to be potentially unsafe according to the PI; has taken any of the following medications, which are known to increase the risk of seizures, within 1 week of study enrollment; or does not agree to abstain from taking the following medications during study participation:
- clozapine
- chlorpromazine
- bupropion
- clomipramine hydrochloride
- amoxapine
- maprotiline hydrochloride
- diphenhydramine
- stimulants other than methamphetamine including the following: Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine, Dextroamphetamine, Lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, Cocaine, Methylphenidate,
- tramadol
- isoniazid
- Personal history of epilepsy or seizure disorder and/or family history including a first-degree relative
- Serious head injury with loss of consciousness
- Impending incarceration
- Pregnant or nursing females
- Inability to read, write, or speak English
- For adolescent aged participants (18-21 only): any risk factor for neurocardiogenic syncope (history of syncope/presyncope related to noxious stimuli, anxiety, micturition, or posture)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Houston, Texas, 77030
About this study
The purpose of this study is to assess impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)+Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) vs. sham rTMS+EFT on delay discounting and methamphetamine (MA) demand, on vividness of future positive events during EFT training and on frequency of episodic thinking during the week following EFT training
- Conditions
- Methamphetamine Use Disorder
- Being tested
- EFT, high frequency rTMS, sham frequency rTMS
- Keywords
- delay discounting, methamphetamine, brain stimulation, episodic future thinking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
EFTBehavioural
Participants will identify three personalized and rewarding future events not related to drug use that take place 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months in the future. Participants will be asked to rate the vividness of each personalized future positive event on a 5-pt Likert scale.A brief and personalized EFT prompt will be created for each future event . Personalized EFT prompts will be presented during delay discounting and MA demand assessments following EFT training. Participants will also receive daily text/email messages with these prompts, reminding them to engage in EFT, vividly reexperience their future events, over the week following EFT training.
high frequency rTMSDevice
TMS will be delivered with a MagVenture Mag Pro R30 with the Cool-B70 A/P coil with active liquid cooling . For dlPFC, we will measure position F3. The first session will begin with the acquisition of the resting motor threshold on the contralateral hand. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) (triplet 50 Hz bursts, repeated at 5 Hz, 2 sec on and 8 sec off; 600 pulses per session) will be delivered at 110% of the resting motor threshold (RMT) and will last ~3 minutes. Participants will receive 2 sessions of iTBS to the dlPFC brain region with a 15-20-minute interval between sessions
sham frequency rTMSDevice
Participants will receive sham TMS to the dlPFC. They may feel the TMS from the A/P coil electrodes, but there will not be any real stimulation of the brain.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| highfrequency rTMS+EFT | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: EFT; Device: high frequency rTMS |
| sham rTMS+EFT | Sham comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: EFT; Device: sham frequency rTMS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Rate of delay discounting as assessed by the 5-Trial adjusting Delay Discounting Task
This 5 item questionnaire measures the extent to which participants devalue a reward as the delay to its receipt increases.This task presents choices between $500 now vs. $1,000 after a delay.The discount rate k quantifies how rapidly the value of a delayed reward decreases with time.Low k Indicates patience or low impulsivity - greater willingness to wait for larger rewards.High k Indicates impatience or high impulsivity - preference for immediate rewards over delayed ones.
Measured: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
Change in MA Demand as assessed by the Drug Purchasing Task
MA demand will be assessed by asking participants how many grams of MA they would purchase to use over the course of a weekend (Friday night to Sunday night) as a function of increasing price ($0 to $10000) Demand is the maximum quantity of Methamphetamine consumed if the drug was free measured in grams or dollar amount
Measured: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
EFT Vividness as assessed by the Vividness Scale
This is a single item questionnaire and is scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 1(not vivid at all) to 5( extremely vivid) for a maximum score of 5, higher score indicating more vivid outcome
Measured: measured during EFT training on study day 1
EFT Engagement as assessed by the Engagement Scale
This is a single item questionnaire and is scored on a 4-point Likert scale 1-4 asking how often each individual engaged in EFT (i.e., every day, most days, some days, no days), higher score indicating more engagement
Measured: 7-day follow-up
Secondary outcomes (4)
Change in prospective memory as assessed by the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ)
This is a 16 item questionnaire and each is scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 1(never) to 5(very often) for a maximum score of 80, higher score indicating better outcome
Measured: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
Change in prospective memory (PM) as assessed by the behavioral PM task
The percentage of correct target identifications on the PM task
Measured: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
Number of days of Methamphetamine use as assessed by the time line follow back (TLFB) method
Measured: 7-day follow-up
Amount of Methamphetamine used in grams as assessed by the time line follow back (TLFB) method
Measured: 7-day follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Dec 2024
- Study start31 Mar 2025
- Primary completion15 Sep 2026
- Study completion15 Sep 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Methamphetamine Use DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Heather E. Webber, PhD, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
- Investigators
- Heather Webber, PhD, Principal investigator, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06712446
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HSC-MS-24-0886
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Nov 2024
- Last updated
- 24 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Pilot Study of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Plus Episodic Future Thinking for Methamphetamine Use Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06712446
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HSC-MS-24-0886
- Conditions
- Methamphetamine Use Disorder
- Keywords
- delay discounting, methamphetamine, brain stimulation, episodic future thinking
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 14 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas Health Science Center, HoustonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 31 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Sep 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 2 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to assess impact of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)+Episodic Future Thinking (EFT) vs. sham rTMS+EFT on delay discounting and methamphetamine (MA) demand, on vividness of future positive events during EFT training and on frequency of episodic thinking during the week following EFT training
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| highfrequency rTMS+EFT | Experimental | Behavioral: EFT, Device: high frequency rTMS |
| sham rTMS+EFT | Sham comparator | Behavioral: EFT, Device: sham frequency rTMS |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for primary methamphetamine use disorder
- Be fluent in English and able to understand the consent form
Key exclusion criteria (29 listed)
- Current DSM-5 diagnosis for any illicit substance use disorder other than methamphetamine and marijuana
- Current DSM-5 diagnosis of moderate or greater severity for alcohol and marijuana use disorder
- In the opinion of the PI, the presence of any medical, neurological, psychiatric (e.g., psychotic or bipolar disorder), or physical condition, disease, or illness that, may: (a) compromise, interfere, limit, effect or reduce the subject's ability to complete the study; or (b) adversely impact the safety of the subject or the integrity of the data
- Has current or recent (within 3 months of potential enrollment) suicidal ideation, suicidal behavior, homicidal ideation or a homicidal plan sufficient to raise subject safety concerns based on the following assessments according to the PI:
- Medical implants contraindicating TMS (i.e., aneurysm clips or coils, stents, implanted stimulators, implanted vagus nerve or deep brain stimulators, implanted electrical devices such as pacemakers or medication pumps, electrodes for monitoring brain activity, cochlear implants for hearing, any magnetic implants, bullet fragments, any other metal device or object implanted in your body closer than 30 cm from the coil)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| EFTParticipants will identify three personalized and rewarding future events not related to drug use that take place 1 week, 1 month, and 6 months in the future. Participants will be asked to rate the vividness of each personalized future positive event on a 5-pt Likert scale.A brief and personalized EFT prompt will be created for each future event . Personalized EFT prompts will be presented during delay discounting and MA demand assessments following EFT training. Participants will also receive daily text/email messages with these prompts, reminding them to engage in EFT, vividly reexperience their future events, over the week following EFT training. | Behavioural | highfrequency rTMS+EFT, sham rTMS+EFT |
| high frequency rTMSTMS will be delivered with a MagVenture Mag Pro R30 with the Cool-B70 A/P coil with active liquid cooling . For dlPFC, we will measure position F3. The first session will begin with the acquisition of the resting motor threshold on the contralateral hand. Intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) (triplet 50 Hz bursts, repeated at 5 Hz, 2 sec on and 8 sec off; 600 pulses per session) will be delivered at 110% of the resting motor threshold (RMT) and will last ~3 minutes. Participants will receive 2 sessions of iTBS to the dlPFC brain region with a 15-20-minute interval between sessions | Device | highfrequency rTMS+EFT |
| sham frequency rTMSParticipants will receive sham TMS to the dlPFC. They may feel the TMS from the A/P coil electrodes, but there will not be any real stimulation of the brain. | Device | sham rTMS+EFT |
Primary outcome
Rate of delay discounting as assessed by the 5-Trial adjusting Delay Discounting Task
Time frame: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
This 5 item questionnaire measures the extent to which participants devalue a reward as the delay to its receipt increases.This task presents choices between $500 now vs. $1,000 after a delay.The discount rate k quantifies how rapidly the value of a delayed reward decreases with time.Low k Indicates patience or low impulsivity - greater willingness to wait for larger rewards.High k Indicates impatience or high impulsivity - preference for immediate rewards over delayed ones.
Change in MA Demand as assessed by the Drug Purchasing Task
Time frame: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
MA demand will be assessed by asking participants how many grams of MA they would purchase to use over the course of a weekend (Friday night to Sunday night) as a function of increasing price ($0 to $10000) Demand is the maximum quantity of Methamphetamine consumed if the drug was free measured in grams or dollar amount
EFT Vividness as assessed by the Vividness Scale
Time frame: measured during EFT training on study day 1
This is a single item questionnaire and is scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 1(not vivid at all) to 5( extremely vivid) for a maximum score of 5, higher score indicating more vivid outcome
EFT Engagement as assessed by the Engagement Scale
Time frame: 7-day follow-up
This is a single item questionnaire and is scored on a 4-point Likert scale 1-4 asking how often each individual engaged in EFT (i.e., every day, most days, some days, no days), higher score indicating more engagement
4 secondary outcomes
Change in prospective memory as assessed by the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ)
Time frame: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
Change in prospective memory (PM) as assessed by the behavioral PM task
Time frame: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up
Number of days of Methamphetamine use as assessed by the time line follow back (TLFB) method
Time frame: 7-day follow-up
Amount of Methamphetamine used in grams as assessed by the time line follow back (TLFB) method
Time frame: 7-day follow-up
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Heather Webber, PhD principal investigator
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing EFT and high frequency rTMS in people with Methamphetamine Use Disorder, run by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 29 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Rate of delay discounting as assessed by the 5-Trial adjusting Delay Discounting Task (time frame: before TMS+EFT, after TMS+EFT, 7-day follow-up). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Sep 2026.