Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is used therapeutically in major depressive disorder resistant to standard treatments, and recently also shown to be effective in reducing suicidality with a bilateral approach. Recently, a new form of rTMS has been developed called theta burst stimulation (TBS) which requires a much shorter daily treatment duration and has been found to be non-inferior to standard rTMS. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized controlled clinical trial of a daily, 20 session course of bilateral TBS versus sham stimulation in the treatment of suicidality in patients with OUD and MDD. The investigators will explore whether TBS can have other clinical effects on decreasing symptoms of MDD, craving for opioids, and rates of relapse to opioid use. The investigators will also examine whether rTMS can engage GABA mediated inhibition using combined transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) will be assessed before and after intervention. Clinical outcomes measured before, during, at end of treatment, and 4-weeks post treatment.
This trial is a randomized, double blind, controlled pilot study that will compare bilateral theta burst stimulation (TBS) and sham treatment for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) experiencing suicidality.