# rTMS in alleviating Pain and Co-morbid symptoms in GWVI

> **NIH VA I01** · VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Abstract
 Headaches (HA), muscle and joint pain and depression are some of the most common
debilitating symptoms in military personnel served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War (GW1).
Migraine like HA and diffuse body pain were detected in 64% of Gulf War Veteran (GWV)
diagnosed with Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses (GWVI). Likewise, depression carries a very high co-
morbid prevalence (50%) in patients with chronic pain, and in GWV with GWVI related chronic
HA, and body muscle and joint pain conditions (GWVI-HAP). Repetitive transcranial magnetic
stimulation (rTMS) offers an effective non-invasive treatment option for GWVI-HAP. Our
preliminary study funded by the DOD Innovation Treatment Evaluation Award for GWVI
demonstrated that a short course (4 sessions) of rTMS at the motor cortex could significantly
reduce GWI-HAP symptoms up to two months. This multi-center clinical trial study aims to further:
1) valid the long-term efficacy of the treatment for GWI-HAP and depression; and 2) assess site
specificity of the treatment for both pain and depression.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10041709
- **Project number:** 5I01CX001986-02
- **Recipient organization:** VA SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** DAVID J. CLARK
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-10-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10041709

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10041709, rTMS in alleviating Pain and Co-morbid symptoms in GWVI (5I01CX001986-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10041709. Licensed CC0.

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