Identify the Optimal TMS Target to Modulate Reward Activity

November 14, 2025 updated by: Travis Baker, PhD, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Identify the Optimal TMS Target to Modulate Midcingulate Reward Activity in Smokers

Our primary goal will be to identify the optimal prefrontal-cingulate target by systematically measuring the efficacy of various image-based targeting techniques to increase the reward positivity using the 10-Hz TMS protocol in dependent smokers. Our secondary objective will be to measure the targets' effectiveness to increase decision-making capacity using the probabilistic selection task (PST). Our third objective will be to specifically assess whether the TMS targets has a differential impact on state levels of craving relative to baseline (Tobacco Craving Questionnaire [TCQ]. We plan to accomplish these three objectives using a randomized, controlled experiment involving 3 sessions.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

The design is primarily a randomized control-trial design (3 sessions), comparing the effects 10-Hz rTMS applied to four prefrontal TMS targets based on fMRI, cortical thickness (CT), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) on reward processing across two groups of smokers - Active TMS group and Sham TMS group. For Session A, participants will be scanned using a 3 Tesla MRI system and will receive a structural (T1), fMRI, DWI, and resting-state FC scan. Following Session A, all participants will be asked to complete two Ri-TMS sessions within two weeks and will be instructed to abstain from smoking for 4 hours before the start of each scheduled session. Session B and C: Distinct prefrontal target regions will be identified for each subject based on CT, fMRI, DWI, and RSFC data. At the start of Session B, a target will be randomly assigned to each subject using a random permuted block method. For Sessions B and C, participants will be asked to provide their consent, CO levels, and complete the craving questionnaire (TCQ). At the start of Session B, participants will be fitted with an EEG cap and engage in a virtual T-maze feedback task. The task will be divided into two blocks (200 trials per block: 10 minutes per block). At the start of Block 1, the robotic arm will position the TMS coil <1 cm over Target 1. Next, 50 rTMS pulses will be delivered at 110% of participants' rMT at 10- Hz continuously over Target 1 immediately before every 10 trials of the T-maze (5 seconds of TMS, 30 seconds of task). A total of 1000 pulses will be delivered to Target 1 and 200 T-maze trials completed (duration 10-15 minutes). Immediately after, subjects will be asked to complete a probabilistic selection task (PST) to measure post-stimulation effects on decision-making performance (duration, 15 minutes). Following the completion of the PST, subjects will be given a 5 minute rest-break and participants will be asked to fill out the TCQ. At the start of Block 2, the robotic arm will position the TMS coil <1 cm over Target 2, and 50 rTMS pulses will be delivered immediately before every 10 trials of the T-maze task. A total of 1000 pulses will be delivered to Target 2 and 200 T-maze trials completed (duration 10 minutes). Following Target 2 stimulation, subjects will be asked to complete the PST (duration, 15 minutes) and asked to fill out the TCQ. At the end of the Session B, participants will be scheduled to return to the laboratory to complete Session C on a separate day. An identical protocol will be applied to Session C with the exception that TMS pulses will be deliver to Target 3 and Target 4.

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 (Estimated)

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.
36

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

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

18 years to 55 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Nicotine dependent individuals (according to the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test nicotine dependence score).
  2. Be between the ages of 18 and 55 years old.
  3. Not received substance abuse treatment within the previous 30 days.
  4. Be in stable mental and physical health.
  5. If female, test non-pregnant.
  6. No evidence of focal or diffuse brain lesion on MRI.
  7. Be willing to provide informed consent.
  8. Be able to comply with protocol requirements and likely to complete all study procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Contraindication to MRI (e.g., presence of metal in the skull, orbits or intracranial cavity, claustrophobia).
  2. Contraindication to rTMS (history of neurological disorder or seizure, increased intracranial pressure, brain surgery, or head trauma with loss of consciousness for > 15 minutes, implanted electronic device, metal in the head, or pregnancy).
  3. History of autoimmune, endocrine, viral, or vascular disorder affecting the brain.
  4. History or MRI evidence of neurological disorder that would lead to local or diffuse brain lesions or significant physical impairment.
  5. Life time history of mental disorders such as: Bipolar Affective disorder (BPAD), Schizophrenia, Post-traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) or Dementia or Major Depression.
  6. uninterruptable central nervous system medication

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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

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: Active TMS
Participants in the active condition will receive repetitive TMS (rTMS), delivered at 110% of participants' resting motor threshold at 10 Hz continuously over the predefined prefrontal target for a total of 1000 pulses. Within each of the two TMS sessions, two targets will be stimulated.
Device: Active 10-Hz TMS to the DLPFC
The active group will receive 10hz TMS stimulation. Participants in the active stimulation group will receive10-Hz TMS to left DLPFC. The LDLPFC will be based on 4 targeting neuroimaging methods (cortical thickness, fMRI, diffusion imaging, functional connectivity). TMS will be delivered using a robotic neuronavigation system (Smartmove, ANT). Stimulation intensity will be standardized at 110% of RMT and adjusted to the skull to cortical surface based on e-field calculations (simnibs). Stimulation will be delivered to the L-DLPFC using a active/placebo figure-8 coil and a magventure TMS device.
Sham Comparator: Sham TMS
Identical parameters will be applied to the SHAM group with the exception that the TMS coil will be flipped 180º to mimic auditory stimulation.
Device: Sham TMS-DLPFC
The parameters in the active arms will be as above with the internal randomization of the device internally switching to sham in a blinded fashion.

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
Event-related Brain Potential: Reward Positivity
Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing)
The reward positivity is an event-related brain potential (ERP) sensitive to reward feedback. The reward positivity will be measured during the T-maze task, where participants will receive feedback (Reward, No-reward) following choices. ERPs will be created for each electrode and participant by averaging the single-trial EEG according to feedback type (Reward, No-reward). The reward positivity will be evaluated by subtracting the Reward feedback ERPs from the corresponding No-reward feedback ERPs. The size of the reward positivity will then be determined by identifying the maximum absolute amplitude of the difference wave within a 200-to 400-msec window after feedback onset and evaluated along electrodes Fz, FCz, and Cz. The reward positivity will be measured for each proposed DLPFC target across active and sham groups of dependent smokers. The reward positivity will be used to measure the efficacy of the DLPFC target to modulate reward activity.
Day 0 (day of testing)

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
Approach Learning
Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing)
Approach learning will be measured using a Probabilistic Selection task (PST), in which subjects are shown pairs of arbitrary stimuli and must learn by trial-and-error to select one of each pair. During an initial learning phase participants are exposed to three pairs of stimuli, each of the three pairs is rewarded on 80%, 70%, and 60% of the trials. Subjects learn by feedback that some stimuli are associated with more positive feedback (Approach) and that some stimuli are associated with more negative feedback (Avoidance). To determine whether subjects learn more from positive (approach) or negative (avoidance) feedback, during a subsequent testing phase they are required to choose between novel stimulus pairs. Approach learning (accuracy and reaction time) for each proposed DLPFC target across active and sham groups will be measured during the testing phase. Avoidance learning performance will be used to measure the efficacy of the DLPFC target to modulate decision making.
Day 0 (day of testing)
Avoidance Learning
Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing)
Avoidance learning will be measured using a Probabilistic Selection task (PST), in which subjects are shown pairs of arbitrary stimuli and must learn by trial-and-error to select one of each pair. During an initial learning phase participants are exposed to three pairs of stimuli, each of the three pairs is rewarded on 80%, 70%, and 60% of the trials. Subjects learn by feedback that some stimuli are associated with more positive feedback (Approach) and that some stimuli are associated with more negative feedback (Avoidance). To determine whether subjects learn more from positive (approach) or negative (avoidance) feedback, during a subsequent testing phase they are required to choose between novel stimulus pairs. Avoidance learning (accuracy and reaction time) for each proposed DLPFC target across active and sham groups will be measured during the testing phase. Avoidance learning performance will be used to measure the efficacy of the DLPFC target to modulate decision making.
Day 0 (day of testing)
Nicotine Craving
Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing - before and after TMS)
The level of craving will be assessed in dependent smokers using the short version of the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire (TCQ), a 12-item scale that assesses state levels of craving. TCQ will be measured at the start of each session, and following each Block of TMS (once for each DLPFC target). We will compared the TCQ score from pre-TMS (start of session) to post-TMS.
Day 0 (day of testing - before and after TMS)

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.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

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: Travis E Lalta, PhD, Rutgers University

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.
March 24, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
September 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
September 1, 2026

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).
February 21, 2023

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.
March 2, 2023

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.
March 13, 2023

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 17, 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 14, 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

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

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.
  • Pro2022000444

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data may be uploaded to an open source framework. All data will be deidentified.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

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.

Clinical Trials on Nicotine Use Disorder

Clinical Trials on Active 10-Hz TMS to the DLPFC

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings