Brain Stimulation and Visually-guided Navigation

Summary

This study investigates the neural mechanisms causally involved in how people navigate through their immediately visible environment (e.g., walking around one's bedroom flawlessly and effortlessly, not bumping into the walls or furniture). To investigate whether particular neural mechanisms are causally involved in "visually-guided navigation", repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is used to temporarily disrupt the functioning of particular brain regions in healthy adults while they are shown simple visual stimuli of places (e.g., bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms) and asked to perform simple computer tasks or to complete simple behavioral tasks.

Conditions

• Healthy Participants

Interventions

DEVICE

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

TMS is a safe and noninvasive method for affecting brain function relying on the properties of electromagnetic induction. Action potentials are triggered in neurons, along with a subsequent period of deactivation. Normal ongoing brain activity is disrupted providing a way for investigators to produce a transient and reversible period of brain disruption.

BEHAVIORAL

Computer-based Test

Participants will be seated comfortably in a chair and asked to complete a simple computer-based task where they imagine walking through a room and press a button indicating if they can leave through a door on the left, center, or right wall. During or just before each of these tasks, participants will receive rTMS. In rTMS, a small plastic coil is placed next to the participant's head. The coil will be placed over the relevant brain region identified during the participant's fMRI scan. The coil will then generate a magnetic pulse, and stimulation will occur.

BEHAVIORAL

Behavioral-based Test

Participants will be asked to complete a simple behavioral task that will require them to walk around in a small room and search for hidden objects. During or just before each of these tasks, participants will receive rTMS. In rTMS, a small plastic coil is placed next to the participant's head. The coil will be placed over the relevant brain region identified during the participant's fMRI scan. The coil will then generate a magnetic pulse, and stimulation will occur.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Eye Institute (NEI)

  collaborator NIH

• Emory University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Daniel Dilks, PhD · Emory University

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-03-03

Primary Completion

2023-05-17

Completion

2023-05-17

FDA Device

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations