NCT06561828

Developing Transcranial Neuromodulation Protocols for Learning and Decision-Making

Recruiting now EARLY_PHASE1 Last updated 17 April 2026

What this trial tests

EARLY_PHASE1 trial testing continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (cTBS) in Normal Physiology in 600 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

22 April 2026

Primary endpoint
1 November 2044

2 November 2044

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Phase	EARLY_PHASE1
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	non randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	600
Start date	22 April 2026
Primary completion	1 November 2044
Estimated completion	2 November 2044
Sites	1 location across United States

Drugs / interventions tested

• continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (cTBS)
• intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS)
• sham Theta Burst Stimulation (sham TBS)

Conditions studied

• Normal Physiology — all drugs for Normal Physiology →

Sponsor

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Who can join

Adults 18 to 45, any sex, with Normal Physiology. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Background:

People with substance use disorder (SUD) often have changes in brain function that can make it difficult to control drug-seeking behavior. These changes may heighten the urge to use drugs or lessen the desire to seek nondrug-related rewards. Researchers want to know how a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may cause changes in brain activity that may help people with SUD.

Objective:

To test TMS in healthy volunteers.

Eligibility:

Healthy people aged 18 to 45 years who are right-handed.

Design:

Participants can volunteer for up to 5 different experiments. Each experiment requires 2 to 8 clinic visits. Each visit will last 3 to 7 hours.

Some visits will include TMS. A coil will be placed on the participant s head. A brief electrical current will pass through the coil to create a magnetic field. Participants may feel a tapping or pulling sensation on the skin under the coil. They may feel a twitch in their face, neck, arm, or leg muscles. Participants may be asked to tense certain muscles during TMS.

Some visits will include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Participants will lie on a bed that slides into a large tube. They will perform tasks on a computer inside the tube. The fMRI will show which parts of the brain are used during each task.

Participants will perform tasks on a computer. Some tasks may be done at a desk as well as during TMS and fMRI. Participants may look at images, listen to sounds, smell odors, or taste flavored liquids. Their vital signs may be monitored and their eye movements may be tracked during tasks.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.