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Accelerated TMS for Seizure-Type Functional Neurologic Disorders
Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina
Summary
The purpose of this project is to assess the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of using an accelerated, intermittent theta burst stimulation (a-iTBS-rTMS) protocol targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-dlPFC) for Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) or Seizure-Type Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND-seiz) in an open-label fashion. Following screening, consent, and enrollment, participants will receive 6-to-10 iTBS-rTMS sessions per day (i.e., theta burst; 600 pulses per session; 6000 pulses per day) over a 3-to-5 treatment days with a target of 30 total sessions (18,000 total pulses). TMS will be targeted to Beam F3 for comparison to the bulk of the literature and to most mimic replicable and clinical use. This proposed iTBS-rTMS protocol was chosen given its previously shown safety, tolerability, and effectiveness in other conditions, but also as it has the potential to shorten treatment to only 3 days, which investigators theorize will be more feasible for patients with FND-seiz. Feasibility will be measured as the percentage of participants who receive at least 20 treatment sessions within the 3-to-5-day window. Other than self-assessments used in the safety screening process or to monitor TMS benefits and risks, secondary subjective measures will assess previously investigated FND-seiz-specific outcomes, which will be obtained prior to intervention and 4-weeks post-intervention. In addition to monthly seizure frequency, this will include validated measures regarding stigma, health-related QOL, depression, PTSD, somatic symptoms, psychosocial functioning, psychological distress, and clinical and participant impression of improvement and satisfaction. Sub-analysis will further divide participants with mild to no depression and/or PTSD versus moderate to severe depression and/or PTSD to further assess how the TMS effects known to effect other highly comorbid disorders with FND-seiz, may indirectly affect FND-seiz outcomes.
Official title: Accelerated, Left Prefrontal Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Functional Seizures; An Open-Label Exploration of Feasibility, Tolerability, and Preliminary Efficacy
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2025-09-02
Completion Date
2027-07-01
Last Updated
2025-09-22
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Participants will receive 6 to 10 sessions per day (i.e., theta burst; 600 pulses per session; 6000 pulses per day) over 3 to 5 treatment days using a MagVenture MagPro TMS System. Treatment will consist of a total of 30 sessions (18,000 total pulses). A single session is defined as 600 pulses at 50 Hz for 2s (i.e., 5 Hz triplets) and repeated every 10s for a total of 190s per session to l-dlPFC at 120% rMT with 15-minute intersession intervals. TMS will be targeted to Beam F3 for comparison to the bulk of the literature and to most mimic replicable clinical use.
Locations (1)
Institute of Psychiatry, Brain Stimulation Department
Charleston, South Carolina, United States