TMS Alteration of the Reward Positivity

University of New Mexico (UNM)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Anhedonia

Treatments: Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05443256

20071

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this proposal is to demonstrate that stimulation of different brain regions differently affects the electroencephalographic feature known as the Reward Positivity (RewP).

Full description

The aim of this proposal is to demonstrate that stimulation of different brain regions differently affects the electroencephalographic feature known as the Reward Positivity (RewP). The RewP is a sensitive and specific biomarker of reward receipt. This proposal will advance a causal test of the hypothesis that there are two major sources of variance that contribute to this brain response: a dorsal midline contribution to information encoding and a ventral midline contribution that is modulated by affect. Together, these findings will reveal how the RewP acts to blend multiple aspects of value together in the service of motivated learning. The objective of this proposal is to gather pilot data to demonstrate the feasibility of using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to perturb idiosyncratically-defined (fMRI-based) dorsal or ventral targets in order to causally test the hypothesis that these different sources contribute different types of variance to the RewP. TMS double cone deep coil stimulation should diminish +RPE encoding in the RewP when compared to sham. TMS Figure-8 coil stimulation should diminish affective modulation of RewP amplitude when compared to sham.

Enrollment: 8 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Men or women aged 18-30

Exclusion criteria

• Participants unwilling or unable to give informed consent
• Presence of other known medical or psychiatric comorbidity that in the investigator's opinion would compromise participation in the study
• MEG/MRI contraindications
• History of psychosis
• Not fluent in English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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8 participants in 2 patient groups

Theta Stim

Experimental group

Description:

To stimulate fMRI-informed individualized targets in dlPFC to diminish affective modulation of the RewP. Based on our working hypothesis, TMS Figure-8 coil stimulation should diminish affective modulation of RewP amplitude when compared to sham.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Sham Stim

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Sham stimulation. The Reward Positivity should be unaffected.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation