Targeted brain mapping and magnetic stimulation to speed up actions
Official title: Dynamic Causal Modeling of Neuromodulation of Action Speed Via Targeted TMS-EEG
Run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens · NCT07468032 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether using EEG and fNIRS to guide targeted magnetic brain stimulation (TMS/iTBS) can speed up action in healthy adults and in people who had a hemispheric stroke that spared key prefrontal areas.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 80 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Amiens Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Amiens, Picardie) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 6, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 2028 |
| Study ends | December 2028 |
| Registry record updated | March 12, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07468032 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are people who had a hemispheric stroke but whose lesion spared the targeted prefrontal regions, who have measurable action slowing without other major cognitive disorders, and who have no contraindications to MRI or TMS.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients whose stroke directly damaged the key prefrontal target regions, or who have epilepsy, major psychiatric or other neurological conditions, severe medical comorbidities, or standard MRI/TMS contraindications, are unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The protocol combines high-density EEG, fNIRS, dynamic causal modeling (DCM), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to map networks that control action speed and then modulate them. In phase 1, single-pulse TMS will create temporary 'virtual lesions' while EEG/fNIRS and DCM are used in about 60 healthy volunteers to identify seven key prefrontal and premotor nodes. In phase 2, offline intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) will be applied to the most relevant regions to test effects on action speed. A final clinical phase will apply the targeted stimulation approach to selected hemispheric stroke patients who do not have direct damage to the targeted prefrontal regions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could speed up action and improve motor and executive recovery after stroke by precisely targeting dysfunctional network nodes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous rTMS and iTBS studies have produced modest improvements in motor speed and recovery, but combining TMS-EEG/fNIRS with dynamic causal modeling to guide stimulation is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * The control group consists of individuals who are : * neurologically healthy, * meaning they do not have any medical conditions that could interfere with cognitive performance or its measurement. * not have any contraindications for undergoing MRI scans or TMS, such as epilepsy, which could be triggered by magnetic stimulation. * The patient group will include : * individuals who have experienced a hemispheric stroke but with specific criteria ( stroke must not have affected key prefrontal regions that are targeted in the study, ensuring that the observed motor slowing is due to network dysfunction rather than direct structural damage to these regions) * be free of other cognitive impairments or medical conditions that could confound the study's results. Exclusion Criteria: * participants with neurological, * psychiatric, or general conditions known to alter test performance or cognitive function, according to a previously validated method will be excluded. * any contraindication to MRI and TMS (e.g., epilepsy). * For stroke patients, the lesion delineated on MRI must spare the prefrontal target structures.
Where it's running
-
CHU Amiens
Amiens, Picardie, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: GODEFROY Olivier, Pr
- Email: Godefroy.Olivier@chu-amiens.fr
- Phone: 33+322668240
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.