TONICS feasibility RCT
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Trial of Neurostimulation In Conversion Symptoms (TONICS): A Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) feasibility study of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for conversion disorder with motor symptoms
IRAS ID
169801
Contact name
Timothy R J Nicholson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN00000000
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 1 days
Research summary
Conversion Disorder (CD) is where neurological symptoms aren’t caused by neurological disease and are presumed to be psychological in origin. The symptoms are most commonly physical weakness (known as ‘motor’ CD), altered sensation or seizures. Despite the levels of long term disability being equivalent to neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, little is known about how why CD occurs and there are no proven treatments for motor CD.
An increasing number of case reports suggest that Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), where a magnet is placed over the scalp to stimulate the underlying nerves controlling the affected limb, might be an effective treatment. However, until a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is done it cannot be established that TMS really is an effective and safe treatment that should be rolled out into clinical practice. This project will do the groundwork, via a ‘feasibility study’, to enable the testing and refinement of the design of a subsequent larger RCT of TMS for motor CD - which will address whether TMS is both effective and safe.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0410
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion