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Investigating Mediodorsal Thalamus Representations Underlying Human Cognitive Flexibility

NCT07217652 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2026-02-13

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this basic experimental research study is to examine how the human thalamus supports flexible thinking and behavior. Specifically, the research aims to elucidate how the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus encodes and updates "context"-the mental framework that determines which rules or actions are relevant in a given situation. This work may contribute to understanding why certain psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and ADHD, involve difficulties with cognitive flexibility and control.

The primary research questions are:

Does the MD thalamus represent the context that organizes how working memory guides task selection? Does the MD thalamus signal when context needs to be updated after a change in task demands? Do these thalamic representations support generalization to new situations or rules?

Participants will complete cognitive tasks while undergoing high-resolution brain imaging using 7-Tesla MRI. The investigators will combine behavioral data, computational modeling, and advanced neuroimaging analyses to examine how the thalamus interacts with the cortex during flexible decision-making.

Conditions

  • Schizophrenia
  • Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity (ADHD)

Interventions

OTHER

High-resolution fMRI during working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making tasks

Participants will perform a set of computerized cognitive tasks designed to test working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making while undergoing high-resolution 7-Tesla functional MRI. These tasks require participants to maintain and update contextual information, switch between rules, and make value-based choices under changing conditions. The intervention is distinguished by its integration of advanced neuroimaging with computational modeling to identify how the mediodorsal thalamus and prefrontal cortex represent, update, and generalize context. This approach allows precise mapping of thalamocortical mechanisms that support flexible cognition and goal-directed behavior.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Kai Hwang

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

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

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-12-01
Primary Completion
2030-06-30
Completion
2030-07-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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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 NCT07217652 on ClinicalTrials.gov