Actively Recruiting
Influence of Brain Oscillation-Dependent TMS on Motor Function
Led by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · Updated on 2026-04-24
114
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
550 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Background: When people have a stroke, they often have difficulty moving their arms and hands. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can improve how well people with and without stroke can move their arms and hands. But the effects of TMS are minor, and it doesn t work for everyone. Researchers want to study how to time brain stimulation so that the effects are more consistent. Objective: To understand how the brain responds to transcranial magnetic stimulation so that treatments for people with stroke can be improved. Eligibility: Adults ages 18 and older who had a stroke at least 6 months ago Healthy volunteers ages 50 and older Design: Participants will have up to 5 visits. At visit 1, participants will be screened with medical history and physical exam. Participants with stroke will also have TMS and surface electromyography (sEMG). For TMS, a brief electrical current will pass through a wire coil on the scalp. Participants may hear a click and feel a pull. Muscles may twitch. Participants may be asked to do simple movements during TMS. For sEMG, small electrodes will be attached to the skin and muscle activity will be recorded. At visit 2, participants will have magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). They will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder in a strong magnetic field. They will get earplugs for the loud noise. At visit 3, participants will have TMS, sEMG, and electroencephalography (EEG). For EEG, small electrodes on the scalp will record brainwaves. Participants will sit still, watch a movie, or do TMS. Participants may be asked to have 2 extra visits to redo procedures.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Influence of Brain Oscillation-Dependent TMS on Motor Function
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Healthy younger adults aged 18 to less than 50 years
- Ability to provide informed consent
- Ability to produce motor evoked potential in upper extremity muscles during TMS screening
- Healthy older adults aged 50 and over
- Ability to provide informed consent
- Ability to produce motor evoked potential in upper extremity muscles during TMS screening
- Stroke patients aged 18 and over
- Unilateral or bilateral upper limb weakness with voluntary contraction ability in affected arm muscles
- Stroke occurred more than 6 months prior to participation
- Intact motor cortex sufficient to produce motor evoked potentials in affected upper extremity during TMS screening
- Ability to provide informed consent (with consent capacity assessment if needed)
You will not qualify if you...
- Presence of severe neurological or medical disorders such as Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis in healthy adults
- History of seizures
- Chronic use of antipsychotic drugs, tri-cyclic or other antidepressants, benzodiazepines, or prescription stimulants
- Contraindications to TMS including pacemaker, implanted pump, stimulator, cochlear implant, or metal objects inside the eye or skull
- Diagnosed severe hearing loss
- Current pregnancy
- Staff from the study section
- Presence of severe neurological or medical disorders other than stroke in stroke patients
- History of brainstem stroke
- History of seizures
- Chronic use of antipsychotic drugs, benzodiazepines, or prescription stimulants
- Contraindications to TMS as above
- Diagnosed severe hearing loss
- Current pregnancy
- Staff from the study section
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
C
Catherine L Blumhorst, C.R.N.P.
CONTACT
L
Leonardo G Cohen, M.D.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
2
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