Brain Oscillations and Neural States (PHAROS)

June 3, 2026 updated by: IRCCS San Camillo, Venezia, Italy

Relationship Between Brain Oscillations and Neural States

The study aims to investigate, through the use of electroencephalography (EEG), instantaneous brain states, namely rapid oscillations of the brain's electrical activity, and their relationship with behavior and brain functions. The study will focus on three main objectives: (1) establishing a relationship between brain oscillations and behavior; (2) establishing a relationship between brain oscillations and brain functions, in terms of neural responsiveness; and (3) identifying the different phases of brain oscillations and investigating any related modulations of behavior and brain functions.

PHAROS will combine EEG with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to investigate and modulate brain states non-invasively.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

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 Locations

  • Italy
      • Venice-Lido, Italy
        • IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy adults

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Left-handedness (assessed through the Oldfield test)
  • Diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorders
  • Vision problems that prevent reading, not correctable with lenses
  • Diagnosis of substance dependence on drugs or alcohol
  • Presence of hearing aids/prostheses
  • Diagnosis of epilepsy or family history up to the second degree with it
  • Episodes of febrile convulsions or recurrent fainting
  • Head trauma
  • Presence of surgical clips or metal implants in the head
  • Diagnosis of heart disease
  • Presence of a cardiac pacemaker or artificial heart valve
  • Presence of hearing aids/prostheses
  • Hearing problems or tinnitus
  • Vision problems not corrected with lenses (such as color blindness)
  • Taking tricyclic antidepressant medications
  • Taking neuroleptic medications
  • Diagnosis of headache or migraine
  • Taking more than 3 alcoholic units in the last 24 hours
  • Taking 2 or more cups of coffee or caffeine from other sources in the last 2 hours

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: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Real motion
Participants will be asked to perform a possible motor imagery task: imagining an abduction movement of the right index finger. Each session will consist of three blocks, counterbalanced across participants. During these blocks, single TMS pulses will be delivered at different phases of the EEG oscillation: positive peak, negative peak, and random phase, the latter serving as the control condition.
Other: Behavioral Treatment
Imagining an abduction movement of the right index finger
Other: Behavioral Treatment
Imagining the right index finger remaining still, which will serve as the control condition
Sham Comparator: No motion
Participants will be asked to perform a possible motor imagery task: imagining the right index finger remaining still, which will serve as the control condition. Each session will consist of three blocks, counterbalanced across participants. During these blocks, single TMS pulses will be delivered at different phases of the EEG oscillation: positive peak, negative peak, and random phase, the latter serving as the control condition.
Other: Behavioral Treatment
Imagining an abduction movement of the right index finger
Other: Behavioral Treatment
Imagining the right index finger remaining still, which will serve as the control condition

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Motor-evoked potential
Time Frame: Baseline
Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) will be recorded from the right index-finger abductor muscle following single-pulse TMS delivered over the primary motor cortex. MEPs will be used as an index of corticospinal excitability. The main outcome measure will be the peak-to-peak MEP amplitude, calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum EMG signal within the post-stimulation time window.
Baseline
Motor-evoked potential
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention
Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) will be recorded from the right index-finger abductor muscle following single-pulse TMS delivered over the primary motor cortex. MEPs will be used as an index of corticospinal excitability. The main outcome measure will be the peak-to-peak MEP amplitude, calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum EMG signal within the post-stimulation time window.
Immediately after the intervention
TMS-evoked potential
Time Frame: Baseline
TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) will be recorded using EEG following single-pulse TMS. TEPs will be used as an index of cortical responsiveness to stimulation. The main outcome measures will be the amplitude and latency of the main TEP components within predefined post-stimulation time windows.
Baseline
TMS-evoked potential
Time Frame: Immediately after the intervention
TMS-evoked potentials (TEPs) will be recorded using EEG following single-pulse TMS. TEPs will be used as an index of cortical responsiveness to stimulation. The main outcome measures will be the amplitude and latency of the main TEP components within predefined post-stimulation time windows.
Immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

IRCCS San Camillo, Venezia, Italy

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)

October 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 26, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

February 26, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 3, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024.01

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

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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