NCT03351764

Development of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Techniques

Completed NA Last updated 20 January 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Sham TMS in Normal Physiology in 83 participants. Completed in 15 December 2025.

Timeline

11 January 2018

Primary endpoint
15 December 2025

15 December 2025

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	na
Design	single group
Masking	single
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	83
Start date	11 January 2018
Primary completion	15 December 2025
Estimated completion	15 December 2025
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• Sham TMS
• TMS — full drug profile →

Conditions studied

• Normal Physiology — all drugs for Normal Physiology →

Sponsor

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Who can join

Adults 18 to 65, any sex, with Normal Physiology. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Background:

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may help diagnose and treat psychiatric and neurological illness. But there is not enough research on how to apply NIBS. This includes how strong to make it, where on the brain to apply it, and for how long. Researchers also want to see what the brain is doing when it receives NIBS.

Objective:

To increase the effectiveness of NIBS.

Eligibility:

Healthy native English speakers ages 18-65

Design:

Participants will be screened under another protocol with:

Medical and psychiatric history

Psychiatric evaluation

Physical exam

Urine tests

All participants will start with a 2-hour visit for screening. (see below). They may learn how to do tasks that will be used later. After the screening session, they will be scheduled for an MRI session.

The next part of the study is 4 substudies. Each substudy includes up to 4 sessions. A session is usually 2-3 hours but can last up to 8 hours. Participants can join multiple substudies, but only 1 at a time. They can do only 1 session on a given day.

Each substudy includes the following:

Behavioral tests: Interviews; questionnaires; simple tasks; and tests of memory, attention, and thinking

Electromyography: Small sticky electrodes on the skin measure muscle activity.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation: A wire coil is held to the scalp. A brief electrical current passes through the coil and affects brain activity.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Participants lie on a table that slides into a machine that takes pictures of the brain. A coil is placed over the head. They will perform simple tasks while in the scanner. They may also get TMS.

Electroencephalography: Small electrodes on the scalp record brain waves.

Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of M

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Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial. Completed trials usually publish results within 12-18 months.