Modulating brain activity to improve working memory

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

This study investigates the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on brain oscillations related to working memory in healthy adults. Participants will perform a spatial working memory task while their brain activity is recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). They will undergo four different tACS sessions, including active and placebo conditions, to assess how varying stimulation protocols influence their cognitive performance. The study aims to enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying working memory.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Able to provide informed consent
* Fluent in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of a neurological/psychiatric disorder
* Current use of psychotropic medications
* Current use of substances and drugs that were shown to affect tES (transcranial electrical stimulation) efficacy (dopamine altering drugs, nicotine, NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonists/agonists, sodium/calcium channel blockers, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, GABAergic modulators and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
* Contraindications for tACS (e.g., history of seizures, metallic implants in the head or neck, implanted brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, pacemakers, pregnancy)

Where it's running

• Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
  Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Hamdi Eryilmaz, Ph.D. — Massachusetts General Hospital
• Study coordinator: Allyson Smith, B.S.
• Email: asmith192@mgh.harvard.edu
• Phone: (617) 726-1040

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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.