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NCT Number: NCT07389694

Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Treat Stuttering

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if repeated transcranial magnetic stimuli (rTMS) can treat stuttering in adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Will there be changes in the brains of people who stutter because of the treatment? * Will any changes in the brain result in less stuttering?

Participants will:

* Visit the lab 3 times before treatment for tests * Complete 10 rTMS sessions * Visit the lab 2 times after treatment for tests

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Key information

Conditions

Stuttering, Adult Communication Disorders Language Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Speech Disorders Stuttering

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Bluemont Hall, Department of Psychological Sciences, Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas, 66506-7500, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Julio Hernandez Pavon, Ph.D., D.Sc.

CONTACT

[email protected]

785-532-0805

Julio Hernandez Pavon, Ph.D., D.Sc.

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Kristin Pelczarski, Ph.D.

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

About this study

Measures must be obtained to in preparation for TMS treatment. Structural MRI and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) recordings will be obtained from the participant, and they will undergo a neuronavigational session to determine best placement for the electrodes.

MRI/rsfMRI recordings: The structural MRIs will be obtained and used for TMS neuronavigation. Resting-state functional MRI will be recorded for 8 min with the eyes open. rTMS will be delivered at 10 Hz for 10 min with a stimulation intensity of 120% of the resting motor threshold (rMT).

Neuronavigation: The TMS coil will be navigated with a neuronavigation system using the individual MRIs. rTMS targets: rTMS will be delivered to the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). We will use the neuronavigation system to identify the IFG.

Three pre-treatment and 2 post-treatment sessions will each obtain data from the following measurements:

  • rs-EEG: rs-EEG responses will be recorded with eyes open for 5 minutes using a 64-channel EEG system.
  • Eye tracker: eye gaze fixations, dwell time, saccades, and gaze durations will be recorded while the participant completes several behavioral phonological memory tasks.
  • Spontaneous speech sample will be obtained to determine percent syllables stuttered.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age from 18 to 65 years
  • Self-identifies as a person who currently stutters
  • Right-handed or left-handed
  • Normal hearing and (corrected) vision
  • Able to understand and give informed consent
  • Monolingual English speaker

Exclusion criteria

  • Cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker wires; neurostimulators; implanted pumps
  • Metal in the body (rods, plates, screws, shrapnel, dentures, IUD) or metallic particles in the eye
  • Facial tattoos
  • Not having medical insurance
  • Surgical clips in the head or previous neurosurgery
  • Any magnetic particles in the body
  • Cochlear implants
  • Prosthetic heart valves
  • Epilepsy or any other type of seizure history
  • History of significant head trauma (i.e., extended loss of consciousness, neurological sequelae)
  • Known structural brain lesions
  • Pre-existing speech, language, or neurological disorder (except for stuttering)
  • Significant other disease (heart disease, malignant tumors, mental disorders)
  • Significant claustrophobia; Ménière's disease
  • Women who are trying to get pregnant and sexually active women (of reproductive age) not on a reliable contraceptive
  • Pregnancy, breastfeeding
  • Medications increasing the risk for seizures
  • Non-prescribed drug use
  • Use of recreational drugs such as medical marijuana
  • Failure to perform the behavioral tasks or neuropsychological evaluation tests
  • Prisoners

Treatment and study plan

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Device

This study uses Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) applied to specific speech and motor areas of the brain to stimulate cortical areas that experience reduced activations during left-hemisphere dominant tasks in people who stutter.

Primary outcomes

  1. Changes in functional connectivity with resting-state electroencephalography (rs-EEG)

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-treatment, and one week after post-treatment.

    A seed-based functional connectivity analysis will be carried out between the two stimulated brain areas. To assess the changes in effective connectivity, the investigators will compare the seed-based connectivity values across sessions.

  2. Changes in behavioral measures of stuttering and phonological processing.

    Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-treatment, and one week after post-treatment.

    To assess functional changes as a result of rTMS treatment, comparison of eye tracking measurements of duration, dwell time, and number of fixations of eye movements while completing speech and language-based tasks are compared across sessions.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Julio Hernandez Pavon, Ph.D., DSc

CONTACT

[email protected]

Kristin Pelczarski, Ph.D.

CONTACT

[email protected]

785-532-6879

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Kansas State University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Modulating Bilateral Cortical Activation In Adults Who Stutter: A Pilot Study

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Feb 5, 2026
Registry last updated
Feb 6, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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