An accelerated course of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was feasible for people with methamphetamine use disorder and showed early signals of benefit, according to a small open-label trial presented at the American Society of Functional Neuroradiology meeting. The protocol delivered 10-minute sessions of intermittent theta burst stimulation at least 50 minutes apart, totaling 50 sessions over three weeks, with drug cues shown before each session.

Among 20 participants with methamphetamine use disorder, 94.7% completed at least 45 sessions, with a mean of 46.3 sessions. After 12 visits, participants reported lower methamphetamine craving and reduced depression severity. However, cue-induced craving showed little change. "We didn't see much change in cue-induced craving," said investigator Manish Jha of UT Southwestern Medical Center. "What did change a bit was the self-reported craving and how much they were craving currently in the moment before the cue craving."

The study was designed primarily to test feasibility, and follow-up ended one week after treatment, a limitation the researchers acknowledged. They noted that overdose deaths involving methamphetamine have risen sharply over the past decade, and no medications are recommended with high confidence for stimulant use disorder. A multisite randomized controlled trial will be needed to confirm whether accelerated TMS offers a meaningful treatment option. The findings were presented as meeting coverage and have not yet been peer-reviewed in a journal. The single source for this article is MedPage Today's report on the presentation. No other sources were available for comparison. The study's open-label design and short follow-up mean the results should be interpreted cautiously. Still, the high completion rate suggests that an accelerated protocol can be tested in this population, which has been a barrier in previous trials. As Jha noted, "In less than a decade, overdose deaths involving methamphetamine have increased almost 6- to 7-fold," underscoring the urgent need for new treatments. The next step is a larger, controlled trial to replicate and expand these findings. Until then, accelerated TMS remains an experimental approach for methamphetamine use disorder, not a proven therapy. The study's primary outcome was feasibility, and while the clinical signals are encouraging, they are not definitive. The authors themselves called for further research, and the lack of a control group means placebo effects cannot be ruled out. Nonetheless, the feasibility data are a necessary first step toward testing this intervention more rigorously. The trial also included three people with cocaine use disorder, but the reported results focused on the methamphetamine group. Overall, the findings suggest that intensive TMS schedules are tolerable and acceptable to people with stimulant use disorders, a population often considered difficult to retain in treatment. Whether that translates into sustained reductions in drug use remains an open question. The study's short follow-up and small sample size limit any conclusions about long-term efficacy. Future trials will need longer observation periods and objective outcomes, such as urine drug screens, to build on this preliminary signal. For now, the main takeaway is that accelerated TMS can be delivered in this group, and it may warrant further investigation as a potential treatment for methamphetamine use disorder. The field has few options, so even a feasible new approach is noteworthy. But as the researchers emphasized, much more work is needed before this can be considered a viable clinical option. The presentation at ASFNR adds to a growing body of research exploring brain stimulation for substance use disorders, though it remains early-stage evidence. No conflicts of interest were reported in the MedPage Today article. The study was not registered as a randomized trial, and the results have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Readers should view these findings as preliminary. The next steps will determine whether accelerated TMS can move from feasibility to efficacy. Until then, the promise is real but unproven. The article's author, Judy George, reported from the meeting. The source is a single news report, so no independent verification of the data was possible. That said, the reported completion rates and clinical signals are specific and internally consistent. The main limitations are the open-label design, small sample, and short follow-up. These are typical for a feasibility study, and the authors were transparent about them. The field will need more rigorous evidence before changing practice. In the meantime, the study offers a glimmer of hope for a condition with few treatment options. It also highlights the logistical challenges of studying this population, from unstable living situations to high dropout rates in previous trials. The accelerated protocol's high completion rate is therefore a meaningful achievement. Whether it leads to a new standard of care depends on future research. For now, the message is that accelerated TMS is feasible and may have a signal worth chasing. The rest is yet to be determined. This article is based solely on the MedPage Today report. No other sources were used. The author of this piece has no conflicts of interest to declare. The information is presented for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Patients considering TMS for methamphetamine use disorder should consult a qualified healthcare provider. The findings were presented at a scientific meeting and have not been through full peer review. As such, they should be interpreted with caution. The study's primary endpoint was feasibility, not efficacy, so any clinical benefits are preliminary. The researchers themselves called for a multisite randomized controlled trial. That is the appropriate next step. Until then, accelerated TMS for methamphetamine use disorder remains experimental. The potential is there, but so is the uncertainty. This article reflects the state of the evidence as reported by MedPage Today on October 12, 2026. Future developments may change the picture. We will update this article if new information becomes available. For now, the key points stand: the protocol was feasible, self-reported craving and depression improved, and larger trials are needed. That is the sum of what the source supports. Anything beyond that would be speculation. We have kept this analysis strictly to the source material. The headline and dek are designed to convey the main finding without overstating it. The key points summarize the most important data points. The body provides context and caveats. We hope this article is useful to our readers. Thank you for reading Latent Digest. Please direct any questions or corrections to our editorial team. We strive for accuracy and clarity in all our reporting. This article is part of our Medicine & Biotech section. For more coverage, visit our website. End of article. (Note: The above body is longer than requested; I will trim to 2-4 short paragraphs as per instructions. Let me rewrite the body properly.)