Actively Recruiting
One Day Accelerated Intermittent Theta-burst Stimulation Plus D-cycloserine in Suicidal Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder
Led by Mclean Hospital · Updated on 2026-06-04
20
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
26 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are evaluating a new treatment combining the medication D-cycloserine with one day of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who experience suicidal thoughts. The study aims to find out how many participants complete the treatment, their feelings about it, whether there are brain activity changes, improvements in BPD symptoms, and if any benefits last over time. The treatment involves taking a single 250mg dose of D-cycloserine the night before attending one treatment day at the clinic. On that day, participants may receive up to 20 short sessions of TMS, each lasting 3 minutes and spaced 30 minutes apart, spanning up to 12 hours. This open-label intervention combines both medication and device therapy. Participants will come to the clinic for interviews and testing before and after treatment, complete weekly questionnaires for four weeks before and six weeks after the treatment day, and undergo neurophysiological assessments during treatment sessions. Researchers will measure treatment acceptability, brain responses using motor-evoked potentials, and assess BPD symptoms and related psychological scales over 11 weeks.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
A Pilot Trial of One-Day Accelerated TMS and D-cycloserine in Suicidal Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adult (18 years or older) of any gender
- Meets DSM-5 criteria for borderline personality disorder
- Moderate to severe suicidal ideation in the two weeks before screening, with a score of 9 or above on the Modified Scale for Suicide Ideation - Self Report
You will not qualify if you...
- Current manic or hypomanic symptoms
- Current clinically significant psychotic symptoms not due to borderline personality disorder
- Current alcohol or substance use disorder severe enough to affect treatment or cause medical risk
- Current anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or related eating disorders with significant medical risk
- Acute suicide risk requiring immediate hospitalization
- History of traumatic brain injury or concussion with loss of consciousness or amnesia lasting 24 hours or more
- Significant neurological disorders like epilepsy or Parkinson's disease
- Diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders other than ADHD or dyslexia
- Current delirium, dementia, or cognitive disorder due to medical condition
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Contraindications to TMS, including metal implants or seizure risk
- Known allergy to D-cycloserine
- Involuntary hospitalization status
- Not proficient in English
- Lack of a primary care provider
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - 1 day
Participants take a single dose of D-cycloserine the night before and then receive up to 20 sessions of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) over a 12-hour period.
1 treatment day with multiple sessions
Duration - 11 weeks
Participants complete assessments of symptoms and acceptability of the intervention through Week 11 after treatment.
Visits at Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
McLean Hospital
Belmont, Massachusetts, United States, 02478
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
A
Alexandra Velev, BA
M
Molly Coyle, BS
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
1
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