What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 119 patients with ptsd. The study was sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
Researchers followed patients through treatment and into recovery, tracking the outcomes that mattered most for the disease being studied.
What the results showed
85% of veterans who received brain stimulation still had reduced PTSD symptoms one month later.
JAMA network open · 2026 · NCT02853032
These findings — that veterans getting real brain stimulation had lasting symptom relief versus 59% with sham treatment — were published in the JAMA network open and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 119 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with ptsd, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This brain stimulation technique is not yet widely available as a standard PTSD treatment. The study was done at one specialized military facility. If you have PTSD, talk to your doctor about current treatment options like therapy and medication, and ask whether any research studies are open near you.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open ptsd trials
Multifaceted Intervention to Restore Resilience and Overcome Risk
The MIRROR study will compare the effectiveness of two interventions in improving emotion regulation and reducing PTSD symptoms in female Veterans with military sexual trauma (MST) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV) and co-occurring brain injury.
Boosting Refugee Integration Through Psychological Intervention
Refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) face numerous stressors and adversities which put them at risk for developing mental health problems. However, access to adequate mental health care in host countries is limited. To address this problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced Problem Management Plus (PM+), a short, low-intensity psychological intervention administered by non-professionals, aiming to alleviate common mental disorders among crisis-affected communities. The present study aims at expanding the existing PM+ intervention by providing additional booster sessions and homework reminders while evaluating its effectiveness and implementation in the public health system.