Brain Stimulation Effects on Cognitive Task Performance

Colorado State University (CSU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Cognitive Function

Treatments: Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05556655

3502

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine optimal task design parameters for the measurement of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) effects on cognition.

Full description

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that relies on rapidly changing magnetic fields to influence neuronal firing rates. TMS can be used to temporarily inhibit or enhance the firing of populations of neurons located in the cerebral cortex. TMS-induced cortical inhibition versus enhancement is increasingly being used as a tool for exploring brain-behavior relationships and for improving cognitive functioning in people experiencing cognitive deficits due to neuropsychiatric illness (e.g., dementia and schizophrenia). However, important and unresolved methodological issues in this field concern the optimal design of cognitive tasks for TMS stimulation protocols. The purpose of this study is to determine optimal design protocols for online TMS studies of cognitive processes involved in attention, learning, and memory. Research participants will complete cognitive tasks while active versus sham (i.e., non-stimulating) TMS is applied to the brain. A factorial design will be used to determine the combination of task and TMS parameters (i.e., device settings) that produce the most robust and reliable behavioral effects.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Right-handed
• Fluent in English

Exclusion criteria

• History of seizures or epilepsy
• Family history of epilepsy
• Significant medical or neurological diagnoses
• History of common headache or migraine
• History of common or recent syncope
• History of moderate/severe, multiple mild, or past 12 months head injury
• History of psychiatric, psychological, or neurodevelopmental disorder
• History of alcohol or recreational drug abuse or dependence
• Current visual or hearing difficulties that interfere with cognitive testing
• History of cochlear implants
• Current pregnancy
• History of metal in the head or neck (except braces and fillings)
• Current non-removable piercings in the neck or head
• History of implanted neurostimulator
• History of cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
• History of medication infusion device
• Current use of medications that increase the excitability of the brain
• History of problems with TMS or MRI procedures
• History of EEG for suspected epilepsy
• Alcohol or recreational drug use in the 48 hours prior to TMS
• Inadequate sleep in the 48 hours prior to TMS
• Headache or feeling faint in the 24 hours prior to TMS.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Active TMS

Experimental group

Description:

Repetitive TMS for the brain

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Sham TMS

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Scalp stimulation that does not affect the brain.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation