Non-invasive Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Functional Movement Disorders

Background: Functional movement disorders (FMD) involve involuntary movements that are not due to a recognized neurological or medical cause. FMD can cause major disability. Researchers want to learn more to create better treatments for FMD. Objective: To test whether non-invasive brain stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) improves FMD symptoms. Eligibility: People between the ages of 18 and 80 who have been diagnosed with FMD by a neurologist. Design: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group is an active brain stimulation group and the other is a sham brain stimulation group. Participants will have a baseline visit. This will include: Neurological exam Questionnaires Urine test Brain MRI: Participants will lie in a machine that takes pictures of the body. They will be asked to respond to images on a screen while in the scanner. Within 2 weeks of the baseline visit, participants will begin 5 daily sessions of TMS. The active group will have stimulation delivered to the brain via a coil. In the sham group, a dummy coil will be used that will not deliver stimulation. A total of three 3-minute cycles will be done in one visit. There will be 20-minute breaks between the cycles. Participants will have visits 1 month, 2 months, and 6 months after their last day of TMS. Their FMD symptoms will be evaluated. They will complete health questionnaires. These visits can be in person or virtual.

NCT Number	NCT05155059
Lead Sponsor	National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC) Collaborators: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Conditions	Functional Movement Disorder
Enrollment	25 participants
Start Date	2022-05-06
Primary Completion	2025-04-25 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-12-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-12