Actively Recruiting
Led by Nicholas Balderston, PhD · Updated on 2026-01-07
200
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
30 weeks
Total Duration
Researchers are investigating how transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) affects brain connectivity across the whole brain in healthy adults. This study aims to develop and validate a model that predicts changes in resting state functional connectivity based on the electric current distribution in the brain's cortex following TMS. The study focuses on two types of theta burst stimulation (intermittent and continuous) and their impact on brain network changes, which is relevant to improving treatments for mental health disorders like depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Participants will receive multiple doses of either intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) or continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Each participant will undergo three stimulation days with five sessions per day, spaced 30 minutes apart. The stimulation targets are individualized using functional MRI data collected during a working memory task. The study uses a Magventure MagPro 100X device with a figure-8 coil for these sessions. During the study, participants will have resting state brain scans and working memory assessments before and 24 hours after each dose to measure changes in brain connectivity. Researchers will track how well their electric-field model predicts these changes. The study lasts through three doses, with detailed monitoring of brain function and symptoms. Safety screenings and exclusion criteria ensure participants do not have conditions that increase risk with TMS or MRI. Overall, the study lasts several weeks, focusing on brain connectivity outcomes after TMS.
CONDITIONS
Resting State Changes Following Theta Burst Stimulation
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Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - 3 days
Participants receive either intermittent or continuous theta burst stimulation (iTBS or cTBS) delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex across 3 stimulation days. Each day includes 5 sessions of stimulation spaced 30 minutes apart.
15 stimulation sessions over 3 days (in-person)
Duration - Up to 9 days following stimulation (24 hours after each of the 3 doses)
Participants undergo resting state and working memory fMRI assessments before and 24 hours after each dose of stimulation to measure functional connectivity changes.
6 visits for fMRI assessments (in-person)
Total: 1 location
1
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
Actively Recruiting
N
Nicholas L Balderston
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
2
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Nicholas L Balderston, Joanne C Beer, Darsol Seok...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34321597