Actively Recruiting
Modulating Anxious Coping
Led by Medical University of South Carolina · Updated on 2026-03-17
80
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
287 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
Sponsors
M
Medical University of South Carolina
Lead Sponsor
N
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborating Sponsor
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This is a study to find out if a device that temporarily alters brain activity (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTMS) might be used to change how people with anxiety or related concerns cope with feared or anxiety-producing situations. The study is recruiting people who recently started treatment for anxiety or a related concern. The study involves 3 visits to the Medical University of South Carolina. At the first visit, participants do interviews and surveys asking about anxiety and related concerns, and they also do tasks where they see and react to emotional pictures while their brain activation is measured. At the next two visits, participants receive rTMS, which works by rapidly turning a focused magnetic field on and off repeatedly over the head in a way that passes directly through the hair, scalp, and skull and onto the brain and can temporarily increase brain activity under the magnetic field. After rTMS, participants do two tasks where they see and react to emotional situations while wearing sensors on their hand, arms, face, and head. Each visit in this study is expected to last between 2 - 4 hours. This is not a treatment study, but the study is being conducted with the hope that it will help improve treatment in the future.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Modulating Anxious Coping
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or adjustment disorder with anxiety
- Currently seeking mental health treatment
- Able to read and provide informed consent
- English is the first or primary language
You will not qualify if you...
- Current alcohol or substance use disorder more than mild severity
- Lifetime diagnosis of psychotic disorder or bipolar mania
- Neurological disorders that prevent TMS or neurophysiological recording (e.g., seizure disorder, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, neurodegenerative diseases)
- Medical conditions making it uncomfortable to sit or lie still for long periods
- Standard contraindications for MRI or rTMS (metal in body, pregnancy, claustrophobia, sensitivity to noise, seizure history)
- Currently taking anticholinergic, neuroleptic, or sedative/hypnotic medication (except stable SSRI or related drugs for at least 4 weeks)
- Currently taking chronic opiate medications or substances
- Currently taking naltrexone
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
C
Christopher T Sege, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
1
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