NCT04155632

Neurocircuit Strategy to Decrease Cocaine Cue Reactivity

• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 32 (actual)
• Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The overarching goal of this project is to examine the effect of combining theta burst stimulation (TBS) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on cocaine craving and brain response to cocaine-related images.

Conditions

• Cocaine-Related Disorders

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	N-acetylcysteine	N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a medication that is used to treat paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose, and to loosen thick mucus in individuals with cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has a long-established safety record in adults and children, with FDA approval since 1963. The side effects most commonly noted in people who take NAC by mouth include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and headache. These side effects are usually mild and go away even with continued use of NAC by mouth. There is also a risk of a skin reaction, such as flushing, itching, or rash. A meta-analysis of studies evaluating long-term oral treatment with NAC for prevention of chronic bronchitis found that NAC was well tolerated, with generally mild, most commonly gastrointestinal adverse effects that did not require treatment interruption.
DEVICE	Theta-burst stimulation (TBS)	Theta-burst stimulation (TBS), a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), affects brain areas stimulated directly underneath the scalp and brain areas that are functionally connected.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-12-18
• Primary completion: 2023-03-09
• Completion: 2023-03-09
• First posted: 2019-11-07
• Last updated: 2025-09-24
• Results posted: 2025-09-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study
• FDA-regulated device study