NCT06735794: STEP-MC

Impact of Spaced iTBS on Plasticity in the Motor Cortex

Completed NA Last updated 4 February 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Compressed iTBS in Healthy Control Subjects in 29 participants. Completed in 1 February 2026.

Timeline

13 November 2024

Primary endpoint
1 February 2026

1 February 2026

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	crossover
Masking	single
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	29
Start date	13 November 2024
Primary completion	1 February 2026
Estimated completion	1 February 2026
Sites	1 location across Canada

Drugs / interventions tested

• Compressed iTBS
• Spaced iTBS
• Sham iTBS

Conditions studied

• Healthy Control Subjects — all drugs for Healthy Control Subjects →

Sponsor

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health — full company profile →

Who can join

Adults 18 to 50, any sex, with Healthy Control Subjects. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation protocols using intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) on brain plasticity in healthy, right-handed individuals aged 18 to 50 years. Brain plasticity is the brain's ability to change through growth or reorganization. iTBS is a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), where magnetic pulses are applied to the scalp using a coil. These pulses pass through the scalp, and can alter brain activity in the area underneath the coil. Based on previous research conducted in animals and humans, researchers believe that iTBS can strengthen the connections between cells in the brain, leading to improved brain plasticity.

This trial will compare the effects of the compressed iTBS (iTBS-c) protocol, which is commonly used to treat depression, and the spaced iTBS (iTBS-s) protocol. Researchers want to find out which protocol is better able to produce changes in brain plasticity. Sham iTBS (iTBS-sh) will be used as a control to make the results of the study more reliable.

Participants will complete 5 study visits within the span of 3 months, including:

* Screening assessments to determine eligibility (Visit 1);
* Calibration iTBS session (Visit 2) to assess tolerability of brain stimulation;
* Three experimental iTBS sessions (iTBS-s, iTBS-c, and iTBS-sh) in a randomized order (Visits 3-5), each separated by at least 72 hours. During each session, the study team will stimulate the motor cortex and record the muscle activity of your hand to measure changes in brain plasticity.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.