Thumbs-up for TI-TES during sleep: testing thalamic stimulation to boost sleep spindles in healthy adults

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 single-site, single-blind study will apply thalamic temporal interference transcranial electrical stimulation (TI-TES) during non-REM sleep to see if 8–16 Hz spindle-frequency activity increases. Participants will undergo an MRI for personalized montage, followed by three overnight sleep sessions with high-density EEG and polysomnography in a randomized, crossover design across broad, anterior, and posterior thalamic targets. The study uses phased frequency testing (10 Hz and 14 Hz in Phase 1; 8–16 Hz in Phase 2) with SHAM controls to identify optimal stimulation parameters and locations. Primary outcomes focus on changes in spindle-frequency power and spindle characteristics during active TI-TES versus SHAM. Real-time monitoring ensures safety during brief stimulation epochs.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Medically healthy (based on self-report and study team review)
* U.S. citizen or holding permanent resident status
* English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Any current or past history of neurological disorders or acquired neurological disease (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury), including intracranial lesions (including clinically significant findings identified in first MRI)
* History of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
* History of head trauma resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness; or a history of greater than 3 grade I concussions
* Current history of poorly controlled headaches including intractable or poorly controlled migraines
* Any systemic illness or unstable medical condition that may cause a medical emergency in case of a provoked seizure (cardiac malformation, cardiac dysrhythmia, asthma, etc.)
* History of seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy, history of abnormal (epileptiform) EEG, or family history of treatment resistant epilepsy except for a single seizure of benign etiology (e.g. febrile seizures) in the judgment of a board-certified neurologist
* Possible pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next 6 months (self reported)
* Any metal in the head
* Any medical devices or implants (i.e. cardiac pacemaker, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, vagal nerve stimulator)
* Dental implants
* Permanent retainers
* Any hair braid, dreadlocks, hair pieces, or extensions which cannot be taken out before the study sessions
* Any head coverings or headdress that participant feels uncomfortable removing for the purposes of study sessions
* Any medication that may alter seizure threshold taken during the study i.e., ADHD stimulants (Adderall, amphetamine); Tricyclic/atypical antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepine, imipramine, maprotiline, nortriptyline, bupropion); SSRIs (Escitalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline); Antipsychotics (chlorpromazine, clozapine), Bronchodilators (theophylline, aminophylline); Antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, imipenem, penicillin, cephalosporins, metronidazole, isoniazid); Antivirals (valacyclovir, ritonavir); OTC antihistamines (diphenhydramine, Benadryl)
* Claustrophobia (a fear of small or closed places)
* Back problems that would prevent lying flat for up to two hours
* Regular night-shift work (second or third shift)
* Sleep apnea or other sleep disorder (self-reported)

Where it's running

• Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness
  Madison, Wisconsin, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Larissa Albantakis, PhD — University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Study coordinator: Sean Prahl
• Email: capti@psychiatry.wisc.edu
• Phone: 608-263-4313

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• How age affects germinal center responses after flu and rabies vaccines

  Researchers will test how the immune system responds to flu and rabies vaccines in younger adults (18–40) and older adults (65+).

  Recruiting Phase 4 Washington University School of Medicine · St Louis, Missouri · NCT07914673

• Magnetic field maps with NV sensors for non-invasive heart measurements

  This study tests whether diamond-based NV magnetometers can non-invasively detect and map the heart's magnetic field in healthy adults.

  Recruiting Robert Bosch GmbH · Renningen · NCT07908173

• Methylation analyses using home-based self-sampling in women with and without gynecological disease

  This study tests whether self-collected urine and vaginal samples can reveal DNA methylation markers that distinguish people with gynecological (pre-)cancers from cancer-free controls.

  Recruiting Universiteit Antwerpen · Edegem, Antwerp · NCT07902388

• Omega-3 status in healthy adults: comparing different fish-oil and algae-oil products

  This study tests whether various fish-oil and algae-oil products can raise the Omega-3 Index in healthy adults who don’t eat much fatty fish.

  Recruiting Nordic Naturals · London, Ontario · NCT07900425

• A safe, carefully dosed test of TBD11 in healthy adults

  This phase 1 study tests TBD11 in healthy adults to see if it is safe and tolerable and to understand how it behaves in the body, including how it interacts with other medicines.

  Recruiting Phase 1 Gates Medical Research Institute · Bloemfontein · NCT07883226

• Fosmanogepix in healthy adults: how it may interact with other drugs and heart rhythm

  This study tests whether fosmanogepix (and its active form manogepix) changes how other medicines work in healthy adults.

  Recruiting Phase 1 Basilea Pharmaceutica · Groningen, Netherlands · NCT07881224

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.