Brain Stimulation for Working Memory

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Hamdi Eryilmaz, Ph.D.

Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Be between 18 and 65 years old

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up 2 hours

Summary

This trial will use a non-invasive electrical stimulation to modify brain activity and measure its effect on working memory.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for individuals who can give informed consent and are fluent in English. It's designed to explore how working memory functions by using a noninvasive brain stimulation technique.

What is being tested?

The study tests two types of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS): 'Active tACS' which actually modulates brain activity, and 'Placebo tACS', which does not have an active effect. The impact on working memory will be measured with EEG.

What are the potential side effects?

tACS may cause mild side effects such as tingling, itching or discomfort at the electrode sites on the scalp during application. More serious side effects are rare.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ 2 hours

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~2 hours

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 2 hours for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Fronto-parietal theta phase synchronization

Theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling

Working memory accuracy

+1 more

Trial Design

4Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Placebo Group

Group I: Theta-nested gamma tACS applied during passive task epochsExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Participants will receive single-session administration of tACS during performance of a working memory task. tACS will be applied during fixation periods between consecutive task trials. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.

Group II: Theta-nested gamma tACS applied during memory delaysExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Participants will receive single-session administration of tACS during performance of a working memory task. tACS will be applied during memory delays. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.

Group III: Gamma tACS applied during memory delaysExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Participants will receive single-session administration of tACS during performance of a working memory task. tACS will be applied during memory delays. The stimulation will be phase locked to the peaks of ongoing theta rhythms of the participant. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.

Group IV: Placebo tACS applied during task performancePlacebo Group1 Intervention

Participants will receive single-session administration of placebo tACS during performance of a working memory task. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.

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