Personalized theta-burst stimulation to create lasting changes in approach and avoidance behavior
The Efficiency of Personalized Theta-burst Stimulation for Inducing Long-lasting Changes in DLPFC
This study will test whether personalized theta-burst magnetic stimulation, timed to each person's brain theta rhythm, can produce lasting changes in approach and avoidance behavior in healthy adults.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 26 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Northwestern University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Chicago, Illinois) |
| Trial ID | NCT07161505 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This double-blinded, counterbalanced crossover study enrolls healthy adults for four in-person sessions combining EEG and theta-burst stimulation (TBS). Each session begins with an approach/avoidance task recorded with EEG to define individual theta rhythm, followed by one of four randomized TBS conditions (personalized left DLPFC suprathreshold, spatial control over postcentral gyrus, non-personalized temporal control over DLPFC, or lower-intensity dose control) delivering 1,800 pulses. Stimulation intensity is set relative to each participant's resting motor threshold, and the approach/avoidance task with EEG is repeated after stimulation to measure behavioral and resting-state EEG changes. The design allows within-subject comparison of personalized closed-loop TBS versus spatial, temporal, and dose controls.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Healthy adults aged 18–65 who can complete study procedures, are not pregnant or breastfeeding, and have no contraindications to TMS or MRI are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People with chronic neurological or psychiatric disorders, ongoing pharmacological treatments, pregnancy or breastfeeding, history of seizures, or incompatible implants are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a noninvasive way to produce longer-lasting shifts in approach/avoidance behavior and guide personalized neuromodulation therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Non-personalized TBS/TMS has produced short-term behavioral and EEG changes in prior work, but closed-loop TBS synchronized to individual theta rhythms is relatively novel with limited prior evidence.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Participants must be legal adults between the ages of 18 to 65; 2. Able and willing to complete study procedures and tasks. Exclusion Criteria: 1. History or evidence of chronic neurological or mental disorder; 2. Chronic condition that requires pharmacological treatment over the course of study participation; 3. Pregnancy or breastfeeding; 4. History or evidence of alcohol or drug addiction; 5. Contraindications for transcranial magnetic stimulation (history of seizures, metallic or electric implant in the head/neck area); 6. Contraindications for magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla (non-compatible implants, metallic foreign bodies, insulin pump, pacemaker).
Where this trial is running
Chicago, Illinois
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine — Chicago, Illinois, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Ivan Alekseichuk, PhD — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Ivan Alekseichuk, PhD
- Email: neuromodlab@northwestern.edu
- Phone: 312-503-3196
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.