MedTrace Logo

Brain Stimulation and Decision-making

NCT04099056 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 500

Last updated 2025-12-10

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Decision-making is an important process that is frequently shown to be impaired in patients with depression. While a number of preclinical and clinical studies have identified key regions involved in this process, it remains unclear exactly how these regions are influencing choice behavior especially when choices become more challenging. The goal of this project is to understand how these regions, such as the cingulate cortex, impact difficult choice behavior. Specifically, the researchers are interested in learning how disruptions in cognitive control might impact choice preferences during difficult decisions in depressed patients. To do this, this study will recruit participants with depression (as well as healthy controls) to perform game-like tasks in the laboratory while undergoing TMS or TI.

Conditions

Interventions

DEVICE

Neurostimulation

Participants will be seated comfortably in a chair and asked to complete simple computer tasks. Participants will receive neurostimulation in the form of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) or Temporal Interference (TI). TMS: Either during, or just before any of the tasks, participants will receive either repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or single pulse TMS. During this, the researchers place a small plastic coil next to the participant's head. The coil will then generate a magnetic pulse, and stimulation will occur during presentation of the visual stimuli on which subjects will conduct behavioral or cognitive tasks. TI: Either during, or just before, any of the above tasks, participants will receive stimulation with TI. To do so, commercially available gel-based electrodes will be placed on the scalp to target the relevant brain region. The position targeted by the electrodes will be guided by previously defined coordinates.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

    collaborator NIH

  • Emory University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Michael Treadway, PhD · Emory University

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
50 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-11-11
Primary Completion
2028-03-31
Completion
2028-03-31
FDA Device
Yes

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04099056 on ClinicalTrials.gov