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Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Versus Theta Burst Stimulation on Impulsivity, Emotional Dysregulation, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Borderline Personality Disorder Patients (TMS and TBS)

1. november 2026 opdateret af: Dina ussein, Ain Shams University

Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Versus Theta Burst Stimulation on Impulsivity, Emotional Dysregulation, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in a Sample of Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

the goal of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The study aims to assess whether these brain stimulation techniques can reduce symptoms of emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and non-suicidal self-injury.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does high-frequency rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) improve emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and non-suicidal self-injury in patients with BPD? Does intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the left DLPFC produce similar therapeutic effects? How does the efficacy of rTMS and iTBS compare to sham stimulation after completing the treatment course?

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:

  1. High-frequency rTMS group
  2. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) group
  3. Sham stimulation group Each participant will receive 15-20 stimulation sessions over the left DLPFC. Changes in emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and non-suicidal self-injury symptoms will be evaluated before and after treatment.

Studieoversigt

Status

Rekruttering

Betingelser

Intervention / Behandling

Detaljeret beskrivelse

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex psychiatric condition characterized by emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and recurrent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI).

Although psychotherapy and pharmacological interventions remain the mainstay of treatment, many patients continue to experience severe emotional instability and impulsivity. Neuromodulation techniques such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and theta burst stimulation (TBS) have recently shown promise in modulating fronto-limbic circuits involved in emotion regulation.

This prospective, randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of high-frequency rTMS and intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in patients diagnosed with BPD. The interventions are expected to enhance prefrontal modulation of limbic activity, thereby improving emotional regulation, reducing impulsivity, and decreasing non-suicidal self-injury behaviors.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups:

Group 1: High-frequency rTMS (5 Hz, 1200 pulses/session, 80-110% RMT, 21 min total) Group 2: Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS, 50 Hz bursts, 600 pulses/session, 80-120% RMT, 21 min total) Group 3: Sham stimulation (matched duration and sound without magnetic output) All participants will continue their standard therapy for BPD, including weekly Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) sessions during the study. Each participant will receive 20 sessions over 4 weeks (5 sessions per week). Allocation concealment will be ensured using sealed, numbered envelopes prepared by an independent administrator, and both participants and assessors will be blinded to group assignment.

Clinical assessments will include:

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II) for BPD diagnosis General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to screen for psychiatric comorbidities Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-16) Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI) Measurements will be taken at baseline (pre-intervention) and after completion of the stimulation sessions (post-intervention).

Safety procedures will follow international TMS safety guidelines (Rossi et al., 2009; Lefaucheur et al., 2020). Adverse effects such as transient headache or scalp discomfort will be monitored, and any serious adverse events (e.g., seizures) will be immediately reported to the Research Ethics Committee.

This study seeks to determine whether rTMS or iTBS is more effective than sham stimulation in improving emotion regulation, reducing impulsivity, and decreasing self-harm behaviors. It will also explore whether iTBS, with its shorter session duration, provides a comparable or superior therapeutic benefit to conventional rTMS.

Undersøgelsestype

Interventionel

Tilmelding (Anslået)

45

Fase

  • Ikke anvendelig

Kontakter og lokationer

Dette afsnit indeholder kontaktoplysninger for dem, der udfører undersøgelsen, og oplysninger om, hvor denne undersøgelse udføres.

Studiekontakt

Studiesteder

    • Cairo Governorate
      • Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypten, 11252
        • Rekruttering
        • Ainshams University Hospitals
        • Kontakt:

Deltagelseskriterier

Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Berettigelseskriterier

Aldre berettiget til at studere

21 år til 50 år (Voksen)

Tager imod sunde frivillige

Ingen

Køn, der er berettiget til at studere

Alle

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 1. Age range: 21-50 years old. 2. Gender: males and females 3. Borderline personality disorder diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

- 1. Presence of other uncontrolled mental illness that precludes the ability to provide informed consent (e.g.; acute psychosis, bipolar disorder currently in manic episode, major depressive disorder with recent suicidal attempt).

2. Patients with contraindications to TMS as cardiac patients with pacemakers, metallic implants as cochlear implants, aneurysm clips, stents, and deep brain stimulation electrodes.

Studieplan

Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.

Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?

Design detaljer

  • Primært formål: Behandling
  • Tildeling: Randomiseret
  • Interventionel model: Parallel tildeling
  • Maskning: Dobbelt

Våben og indgreb

Deltagergruppe / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Aktiv komparator: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Participants receive 15-20 sessions of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Each session lasts approximately 21 minutes.

rTMS will be delivered at 5 Hz frequency, 1200 pulses per session, at 80-110% of the individual's resting motor threshold (RMT). Stimulation will be applied to the left DLPFC (F3 according to the 10-20 EEG system) using a figure-of-eight coil. Each session includes 18 minutes of active stimulation followed by 3 minutes of sham stimulation on the target site. Sessions are administered 5 days per week for 4 weeks (total 20 sessions).

Andre navne:
  • rTMS
Aktiv komparator: Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation Group

Participants receive 15-20 sessions of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Each session lasts approximately 21 minutes.

iTBS will be delivered as 50 Hz bursts (three pulses per burst, 5 Hz bursts) at 80-120% of resting motor threshold, totaling 600 pulses per session. Stimulation will be applied over the left DLPFC (F3 site, 10-20 EEG system). Each session includes 3 minutes of active iTBS and 18 minutes of sham stimulation. Sessions are administered 5 days per week for 4 weeks (total 20 sessions).

Andre navne:
  • iTBS
Sham-komparator: Sham Stimulation Group

Participants receive sham stimulation sessions identical in duration and sound to the active conditions but without active magnetic output.

Sham stimulation will be delivered using the same coil orientation and acoustic cues as the active conditions, but with the magnetic field output disabled. Each session includes 18 minutes of sham rTMS and 3 minutes of sham TBS over the left DLPFC (F3 site). Sessions are administered 5 days per week for 4 weeks (total 20 sessions).

Hvad måler undersøgelsen?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
improvement of impulsivity in BPD as assessed by barratt impulsivity scale (BIS)
Tidsramme: 20 sessions given over 1 month

Improvement of results of The barratt impulsivity scale (BIS) measured before starting sessions and after finishing 20 sessions

20 sessions given over 1 month

Sekundære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
improvement of emotional dysregulation as per Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale(DERS)
Tidsramme: 20 sessions1 month

Improvement of results of DERS measured before starting sessions and after finishing 20 sessions

20 sessions1 month
improvement of non-suicidal self injury
Tidsramme: 20 sessions given in 1 month

Improvement of results of The Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory (DSHI) measured before starting sessions and after finishing 20 sessions

20 sessions given in 1 month

Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere

Det er her, du vil finde personer og organisationer, der er involveret i denne undersøgelse.

Sponsor

Efterforskere

  • Studieleder: mohamed F professor Dr, MD of psychiatry, ainshams university

Publikationer og nyttige links

Den person, der er ansvarlig for at indtaste oplysninger om undersøgelsen, leverer frivilligt disse publikationer. Disse kan handle om alt relateret til undersøgelsen.

Datoer for undersøgelser

Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.

Studer store datoer

Studiestart (Faktiske)

1. december 2025

Primær færdiggørelse (Anslået)

1. juni 2027

Studieafslutning (Anslået)

1. august 2027

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først indsendt

1. november 2026

Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier

1. november 2026

Først opslået (Faktiske)

5. november 2026

Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler

Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)

5. november 2026

Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier

1. november 2026

Sidst verificeret

1. november 2026

Mere information

Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse

Andre undersøgelses-id-numre

  • FMASU MD169/2025

Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)

Planlægger du at dele individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)?

JA

IPD-planbeskrivelse

de-identified individual participant data will be available upon reasonable request after publication of the primary results

IPD-delingstidsramme

5 years after publication

IPD-deling Understøttende informationstype

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • ICF
  • CSR

Lægemiddel- og udstyrsoplysninger, undersøgelsesdokumenter

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Ingen

Studerer et amerikansk FDA-reguleret enhedsprodukt

Ja

produkt fremstillet i og eksporteret fra U.S.A.

Ja

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