Actively Recruiting
Study Brain Mechanisms of Frustration With Magnetoencephalography in Healthy Volunteers
Led by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · Updated on 2026-04-29
90
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
131 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Background: Irritability can be defined as an unusually strong response to frustration; these responses may include severe temper outbursts and a constant grumpy mood. Irritability is a common symptom of many mental health disorders. Little is known about how the brain responds to frustration, and few treatments are available for this problem. Researchers want to know more about how the brain responds to frustration. Objective: To learn how the brain responds to frustration. Eligibility: Healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years. They must have been screened through studies 01-M-0254 or 17-M-0181. Design: Participants will have up to 3 study visits in 2 months. Each visit will last up to 4 hours. Visit 1: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. They will complete questionnaires about how often and how easily they get angry or grumpy. They will be trained to use a device that measures hand grip. Visit 2: Participants will have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will lie on a table that slides into a tube. Padding will hold their head still. Visit 3: Participants will undergo magnetoencephalography (MEG). A cone with detectors will be lowered over their head while they are seated. The MEG will measure the magnetic fields in the participant s brain both while they are resting and while they are doing the frustration task. For the task, they will hold a grip device in each hand. They will use the devices to pick 1 of 2 doors on a computer screen. The task has 3 parts. The participant s face will be filmed during this task.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Study Brain Mechanisms of Frustration With Magnetoencephalography in Healthy Volunteers
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adults aged 18 to 55 years
- Able to give consent
- Can speak and read English
- Previously screened and eligible as healthy volunteers through NIH protocols 01-M-0254, 17-M-0181, or 93-M-0170
You will not qualify if you...
- Any serious medical condition based on history, physical exam, or lab tests including drug abuse screen
- Use of medications or supplements with psychoactive properties
- Any condition that interferes with MRI or MEG
- Current psychiatric diagnosis based on SCID-V or clinical assessment
- Pregnancy (confirmed by testing before MRI)
- Working night shifts
- Drug use within the past 2 years or positive recent drug screen
- Need to wear eye glasses to work with computers
- Need to wear contact lenses to work with computers
- Wearing removable dental retainers (allowed)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
Actively Recruiting
2
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas, United States, 77843
Not Yet Recruiting
Research Team
Z
Zheng Li, Ph.D.
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NA
Model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Number of Arms
1
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