Modulation of Brain Oscillations Underlying Working Memory

March 11, 2024 updated by: Hamdi Eryilmaz, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

State-dependent Modulation of Interactions of Theta and Gamma Rhythms in Working Memory

This study will use novel transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) protocols and electroencephalography (EEG) to modulate and measure brain oscillations that underlie working memory. tACS is a noninvasive method used to modulate the timing and patterns of brain rhythms via weak electric currents passed through electrodes on the scalp.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

In this study, healthy adult individuals will perform a spatial working memory task as investigators record scalp EEG before and immediately after undergoing transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Each participant will complete four tACS sessions in randomized order: 1) theta-nested gamma tACS applied during active task periods, 2) theta-nested gamma tACS applied during passive (rest) periods, 3) gamma stimulation applied in phase with ongoing theta oscillations, and 4) placebo tACS. The different stimulation protocols will take place on different days. Therefore, participants will be expected to attend 4 in-person study visits at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging in Charlestown, Massachusetts.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

32

Phase

  • 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 Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States, 02129
        • Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Fluent in English.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of a neurological/psychiatric disorder
  • Current use of psychotropic medications
  • Current use of substances and drugs that were shown to affect tES (transcranial electrical stimulation) efficacy (dopamine altering drugs, nicotine, NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) antagonists/agonists, sodium/calcium channel blockers, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, GABAergic modulators and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
  • Contraindications for tACS (e.g., history of seizures, metallic implants in the head or neck, implanted brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, pacemakers, pregnancy)

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: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Theta-nested gamma tACS applied during passive task epochs
Participants will receive single-session administration of tACS during performance of a working memory task. tACS will be applied during fixation periods between consecutive task trials. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.
Device: Active tACS
Active tACS will be administered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for approximately 25 minutes.
Experimental: Theta-nested gamma tACS applied during memory delays
Participants will receive single-session administration of tACS during performance of a working memory task. tACS will be applied during memory delays. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.
Device: Active tACS
Active tACS will be administered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for approximately 25 minutes.
Experimental: Gamma tACS applied during memory delays
Participants will receive single-session administration of tACS during performance of a working memory task. tACS will be applied during memory delays. The stimulation will be phase locked to the peaks of ongoing theta rhythms of the participant. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.
Device: Active tACS
Active tACS will be administered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for approximately 25 minutes.
Placebo Comparator: Placebo tACS applied during task performance
Participants will receive single-session administration of placebo tACS during performance of a working memory task. EEG will be acquired before and immediately after the intervention.
Device: Placebo tACS
Placebo tACS will be administered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for approximately 25 minutes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Working memory accuracy
Time Frame: 2 hours
Accuracy of working memory retrieval during a Delayed Match-to-Sample task will be assessed before and during tACS interventions
2 hours
Working memory accuracy under interference
Time Frame: 2 hours
Accuracy of working memory retrieval during interference conditions of a Delayed Match-to-Sample task will be assessed before and during tACS interventions.
2 hours
Theta-gamma cross-frequency coupling
Time Frame: 2 hours
Cross-frequency coupling between theta band phase and gamma band amplitude will be calculated using the EEG data collected while subjects perform the Delayed Match-to-Sample task before and after tACS interventions.
2 hours
Fronto-parietal theta phase synchronization
Time Frame: 2 hours
Phase synchronization in the theta band between frontal and parietal brain regions will be calculated using the EEG data collected while subjects perform the Delayed Match-to-Sample task before and after the tACS interventions.
2 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Hamdi Eryilmaz, Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital

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 (Estimated)

May 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

August 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 20, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 27, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

June 28, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 12, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 11, 2024

Last Verified

March 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2023P001479

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

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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