Tracking Information Flow in the Brain (BRAINDYN)

November 19, 2025 updated by: Hospices Civils de Lyon

Tracking Information Flow in the Brain: A Unified and General Framework for Dynamic Communication in Brain Networks

The brain is composed of a set of areas specialized in specific computations whose outputs need to be transferred to other specialized areas for cognition to emerge. To account for context-dependent behaviors, the information must be flexibly routed through the fixed anatomy of the brain. The aim of this project is to test a general framework for this flexible communication between brain areas based on nested oscillations. The general idea is that internally-driven slow oscillations (<20Hertz) either set-up or prevent the communication between brain areas. Stimulus-driven gamma oscillations (>30Hertz), nested in the slow oscillations, can then be directed to task-relevant areas of the network. This multimodal, multi-scale approach uses magnetoencephalography using a 3-Dimensional (3D) printed individual head-cast system and transcranial stimulation in experiments manipulating visual processing, attention and memory to test core predictions of this framework. The theoretical approach and the methodological development used in this basic science study will provide the basis for future fundamental and clinical research.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
157

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • France
      • Bron, France, 69500
        • Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience de Lyon INSERM

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years to 36 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 20-36 years old
  • Right handed
  • Registered with the French healthcare system
  • Motivated to participate in the study
  • Normal or corrected vision
  • Adequate knowledge of French to be able to follow directions and give informed consent
  • Capacity to listen and follow study instructions
  • Use of contraception (in sexually active women)
  • BMI between 18.5 and 30
  • Informed consent for participation in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

  • For All Experiments:

  • Persons with :

    • Sleep disorders, neurological or psychiatric illnesses or a history of such problems that could impact quality/variability of data or cooperation and retention of the subject in the study
    • Migraines or light-sensitive epilepsy
    • Regular use of medications that impact the central nervous system
    • Regular use of medications, such as opioids and antidepressants, including Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants
    • Severe hearing loss
    • Skin conditions or allergies
    • Chronic pain, or any other medical conditions conducive to pain sensitivity
    • A history of stroke or recent trauma to the head
    • A pacemaker, insulin or other pump, neurostimulator, cochlear implants or other hearing aid, metal stents, prosthesis, or implants, intracerebral clips, implantable defibrillator, cerebral shunt or ventricular catheter, other foreign metal objects in the upper part of the body
  • Persons unable to adhere to abstinence from the use of drugs or alcohol the day or evening before experimental sessions
  • Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have given birth in the last 6 months

For experiments using magnetoencephalography:

  • Persons with

    • claustrophobia
    • any dental apparatus containing metal including or root canals
    • any foreign metallic object anywhere in the body
    • bolts, screws
    • orthopedic devices or implants
    • glasses (given the participant cannot use contact lenses)
    • a head size incompatible with the use of a personalized 3D head-cast or a magnetoencephalograph
  • Persons having had any surgery prior to the study which puts them at risk for metal objects left in the body

For experiments using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) or Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) techniques:

  • Anxious, non-cooperative, or agitated persons
  • Claustrophobia
  • Persons having had any surgery prior to the study which puts them at risk for metal objects left in the body

For experiments using transcranial stimulation:

-Persons with frequent syncope episodes (loss of consciousness) as a result of any particular sensorial stimulations

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Main study group
All participants signed up for experiment 1, 2, or 3 complete the same protocol (1 study arm) with an intent for intra-subject correlational analyses.
Device: Visual attention/perception tasks in healthy participants
The participants complete visual attention and perception tasks while fMRI, EEG, and MEG record brain signals. The tasks acquire responses with a visual saccade or button presses which are coupled to brain responses. These responses are then analyzed to identify patterns of communication between brain areas (within-subject). The flickering stimuli (experiment 1) may alter oscillations in the brain, while participants complete visual attention and perception tasks, leading to a secondary outcome measure distinct from the button presses. The procedure concerning the flickers will be the same for participants. The tACS (experiment 2) delivers input in addition to gathering output while participants complete visual attention and perception tasks. A sinusoidal current at a chosen frequency interacts with the brain's natural oscillations and alters responses. Participants will have sham sessions of tACS as well (there is no group division), The sham will be compared with the stimulation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The composite characteristics of the brain oscillations (frequency, synchronization, and interaction between brain oscillations in and between different brain regions and networks)
Time Frame: up to 17 months
The primary outcome measure is measured using fMRI bold signals (experiment 1), and brain signals obtained through electroencephalography (experiment 1, 3) and magnetoenecephalography (experiment 1, 3), depending on the sessions. The signals are then transformed during analyses and patterns in the composite characteristics are identified.
up to 17 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The coupling of behavioral responses to stimuli with physiological responses in the brain.
Time Frame: up to 17 months
Throughout the sessions of neuroimaging. There are 5, 1 or 2, and 1 sessions of neuroimaging for experiment 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The 5 sessions of experiment 1 are over a period of 1 to 17 months. Each session lasts approximately 3 hours including setup.The sessions take place at between 7 and 198 days after inclusion. The time between the sessions is variable.
up to 17 months
Coupling of brain oscillation characteristics in responses to the "flickering" effect
Time Frame: up to 17 months
There are 5 sessions of neuroimaging for experiment 1. The 5 sessions of experiment 1 are over a period of 1 to 17 months. Each session lasts approximately hours including setup. This outcome measure will be recorded during these 5 interspaced sessions, at between 7 and 198 days after inclusion. The time between the sessions is variable.
up to 17 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Hospices Civils de Lyon

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Mathilde Bonnefond, PhD, INSERM Rhône Alpes

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 25, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 27, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 27, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 13, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 21, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 22, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 26, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 19, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 69HCL18_0854
  • 2019-A01604-53 (Other Identifier: ID-RCB)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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