Suspended

Treatment of Depersonalization Disorder With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

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What is being tested

Daily rTMS with Active coil

+ Daily rTMS with Sham coil

+ Open Label Daily rTMS with Active coil

Device
Who is being recruted

Behavior+2

+ Mental Disorders

+ Behavioral Symptoms

From 18 to 70 Years
+16 Eligibility Criteria
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Placebo-ControlledPhase 2
Interventional
Study Start: October 2013
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorNew York State Psychiatric Institute
Last updated: January 27, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: October 1, 2013

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

This study is a research trial of an outpatient, non-medication, non-invasive investigational treatment called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). TMS is a noninvasive tool for the study of the human brain that has been approved by the FDA for use in depression, but it is also being investigated as a potential therapeutic agent for other symptoms, such as those seen in Depersonalization Disorder (DPD). TMS applies a magnetic field to the brain for a brief period of time. TMS is a procedure that involves 30 minute-long daily sessions every weekday for a series of weeks. The investigators are testing whether TMS can treat Depersonalization Disorder (DPD). In this trial, 32 adult outpatients with DPD, that have been only partially responsive to conventional therapies, will be treated with active or sham low frequency (1 Hz) rTMS applied to the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) daily for up to six weeks. DPD symptoms will be monitored through weekly self-report questionnaires as well clinical ratings with a doctor.

Official TitleTreatment of Depersonalization Disorder With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
NCT02256085
Principal SponsorNew York State Psychiatric Institute
Last updated: January 27, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

From 18 to 70 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

BehaviorMental DisordersBehavioral SymptomsDepersonalizationDissociative Disorders

Criteria

6 inclusion criteria required to participate
Male or female outpatients, 18 to 70 years of age.
Primary diagnosis of Depersonalization Disorder.
Duration of the index episode of at least a year.
Patients currently on DPD medication must be at the same stable dose(s) at least 2 months and be to continue at the same dose(s) through the duration of the study.
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10 exclusion criteria prevent from participating
Individuals diagnosed with current Major Depressive Disorder or Panic Disorder.
Individuals diagnosed with the following conditions: Bipolar Disorder (lifetime), any Psychotic Disorder (lifetime), History of substance abuse or dependence within the past yea (except nicotine and caffeine).
Individuals with a neurological disorder including, but not limited to: brain lesion; history of seizures; history of cerebrovascular accident; history of stroke; TIA, cerebral aneurysm, Dementia; Parkinson's Disease; Huntington's chorea; Multiple Sclerosis.
Increased risk of seizure for any reason, including prior head trauma with loss of consciousness for 5 minutes or more
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Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

3 intervention groups are designated in this study

33.333% chance of being blinded to the placebo group

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental
Daily rTMS with Active coil 30 minutes of 1Hz rTMS, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks with active coil

Group II

Sham
Daily rTMS with Sham coil 30 minutes of 1Hz rTMS, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks with Sham (placebo) coil

Group III

Experimental
Open Label Daily rTMS with Active coil 30 minutes of 1Hz rTMS, 5 days per week, for 6 weeks with active coil

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Secondary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 2 locations

Suspended

Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York (CUNY)

New York, United StatesOpen Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York (CUNY) in Google Maps
Suspended

New York State Psychiatric Institute, Experimental Therapeutics

New York, United States
Suspended2 Study Centers