Study of Paired-Pulse Brain Stimulation Targeting Cerebellum and Medial Prefrontal Cortex for Treating Methamphetamine Use Disorder

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating a new repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation rTMS method called paired cerebellar-medial prefrontal cortex mPFC pulses for people with methamphetamine use disorder. This study aims to understand how this brain stimulation affects craving and cognitive flexibility by targeting impaired connections between the cerebellum and mPFC, which are linked to persistent drug use. The goal is to develop innovative physiotherapy treatments to improve addiction management. The study involves three groups one receiving sham stimulation over both cerebellum and mPFC, another receiving real dual-coil paired-pulse stimulation with a 6-millisecond interval targeting cerebellar-mPFC circuits, and a third group receiving real mPFC stimulation with sham cerebellar stimulation. The intervention session consists of 180 trains of paired pulses at 5 Hz frequency lasting nearly 12 minutes. This design allows comparison of the paired stimulations effects against sham and single-site stimulation. Participants will undergo assessments of craving and cognitive flexibility before, immediately after, and one week following the intervention. Additional evaluations include other craving scales, EEG recordings, response inhibition tasks, and measures of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality. The study tracks changes to better understand treatment effects and safety over time, with the trial scheduled to complete in September 2026.

Cerebellum-Prefrontal Paired-Pulse Stimulation for Methamphetamine Use Disorder