Brain Flexibility and Cognitive Control in Healthy Adults Using Theta-Burst Stimulation Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Brain Activity and Cognitive Effort Study in Adults Aged 18 to 45

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how the brain operates near a critical point between order and chaos, which may help with flexibility, memory, and cognitive control. This study focuses on healthy young adults performing challenging cognitive tasks and how brain activity changes in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation. The goal is to understand how different types of theta-burst stimulation affect brain dynamics and cognitive effort. Participants will receive three types of stimulation in separate sessions continuous theta-burst stimulation cTBS, intermittent theta-burst stimulation iTBS, and sham placebo stimulation. Each session targets the right frontal eye field using a transcranial magnetic stimulation device. The order of these sessions is randomized and blinded to both participants and researchers until after data collection. During the study, brain activity will be recorded using EEG and MRI before and after stimulation, along with tests of eye movement accuracy and cognitive effort ratings. Researchers will measure changes in brain criticality, excitationinhibition balance, and task performance immediately and up to 72 minutes after stimulation. The study includes a screening visit and multiple sessions, with participant involvement lasting several hours across visits.

Brain Criticality, Oculomotor Control, and Cognitive Effort