How the mediodorsal thalamus supports flexible thinking and decision making

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

Participants will perform working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making tasks while undergoing high-resolution 7-Tesla fMRI to map mediodorsal thalamus activity. The team will combine behavioral measures with computational models to identify how the thalamus encodes and updates task context and how those signals support generalization. The protocol enrolls adults without neurological or psychiatric diagnoses and applies strict MRI safety and sensory-perception screening. Findings are intended to link circuit-level signals in the human thalamus to cognitive flexibility problems observed in disorders such as schizophrenia and ADHD.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* No history of any neurological, psychiatric, or medical condition that could affect cognition
* No use of benzodiazepines, long-acting opioids, or other psychotropic drugs that could alter cognitive performance
* Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (visual acuity)
* Normal color perception (Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test)
* Fluent in English
* No metal implants (including aneurysm clip, cardiac pacemaker, ICD, IUD, neurostimulation system, spinal cord stimulator, internal electrodes or wires, bone stimulator, ear implant, insulin or other infusion pump or device, prosthesis, artificial or prosthetic limb, shunt, vascular access port or catheter, thermodilution catheter, medication patch, radiation seeds or implants, wire mesh implant, tissue expander, surgical staples or clips or sutures, joint replacement, joint/bone pin/screw/nail/wire/plate, dentures, or non-removable hearing aid)
* No exposure to shrapnel or other-related MR contraindications
* No non-removable body piercing jewelry
* No non-removable makeup
* No history of claustrophobia
* No history of breathing problems
* Not currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant (this will be determined via self report and no records will be kept).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Has a history of any neurological, psychiatric, or medical condition that could affect cognition
* Use of benzodiazepines, long-acting opioids, or other psychotropic drugs that could alter cognitive performance
* Not fluent in English
* Known metal implants (including aneurysm clip, cardiac pacemaker, ICD, IUD, neurostimulation system, spinal cord stimulator, internal electrodes or wires, bone stimulator, ear implant, insulin or other infusion pump or device, prosthesis, artificial or prosthetic limb, shunt, vascular access port or catheter, thermodilution catheter, medication patch, radiation seeds or implants, wire mesh implant, tissue expander, surgical staples or clips or sutures, joint replacement, joint/bone pin/screw/nail/wire/plate, dentures, or non-removable hearing aid)
* History of claustrophobia
* Currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant (this will be determined via self report and no records will be kept).

Where it's running

• The University of Iowa
  Iowa City, Iowa, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Kai Hwang, PhD
• Email: kai-hwang@uiowa.edu
• Phone: 319-335-2406

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.