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Neuromodulation of Motivation and Reward Oscillations (NEMO)

3 november 2026 uppdaterad av: Rick James Macatee, Florida State University

Delta and Theta-Frequency Transcranial Alternating Stimulation Neuromodulation of Motivation and Reward Oscillations in Disorder of Reward Dysfunction.

Cannabis use disorder (CUD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions in the United States, affecting an estimated 20.6 million and 21 million adults respectively. Both disorders are characterized by anhedonia, diminished motivation, and blunted neural reward sensitivity. This shared dysregulated reward-processing may reflect a common prefrontal oscillatory dysfunction, centralized in mesolimbic dopaminergic reward pathways. This proposed project aims to investigate if transcranial alternating current (tACS) can modulate motivational behaviours and neural reward responsivity in participants with MDD and/or CUD during an effortful reward task. The investigators hypothesize that delta transcranial alternating current stimulation will produce a greater neural reward responsivity (RewP), and motivational behaviour during an effortful reward task.

Studieöversikt

Status

Rekrytering

Betingelser

Intervention / Behandling

Detaljerad beskrivning

Disrupted reward processing is a transdiagnostic feature that plays a central role in the development, and maintenance of anhedonia in Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Reward positivity (RewP) is an event-related potential (ERP) component derived from electroencephalogram (EEG) data, associated with motivation, reward responsivity and valuation. This neural signature originates in the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortexes. In MDD, reduced RewP has been associated with decreased willingness to expend effort for reward. Research of CUD and RewP is scarce, but dampened RewP has been demonstrated across different substances use disorders (SUDs) in response to monetary reward tasks. Taken together, these findings signal an emerging research frontier to establish RewP as a clinical biomarker and create a compelling mandate for causal investigation. Low-frequency neural oscillations are the key mechanisms facilitating long-distance prefrontal connectivity and interregional communication. Delta oscillations (2.5Hz) in medial and left lateral prefrontal cortexes are closely linked to RewP and reward prediction error signaling, while theta oscillations (6Hz) index cognitive control and prefrontal regulatory engagement during reward processing. Disruptions in both bands have been well documented in MDD, to a more limited extent, in cannabis-using populations. The proposed experiment will causally test whether sham, delta, and theta frequency tACS can alter motivation and reward responsivity (behaviourally [Effort behaviour] and neurally [RewP, delta power]), in participants with disorder of reward dysfunction, CUD, MDD, and healthy controls. Findings from the proposed study will aid in mechanistic understanding of prefrontal circuits underlying reward impairment in CUD and MDD, and ultimately enable for the development of novel brain stimulation techniques to target disorder-maintaining anhedonia. The investigators hypothesise that delta tACS will modulate reward responsivity in participants with disorders of reward. Such that, during the EEfRT Task delta stimulation will enhance reward responsive goal directed behaviour (Behavioral H1) and delta phase connectivity between left lateral and medial frontal electrodes (Neural H1) at effort decision period. As well as greater reward positivity (RewP; Neural 2), and win vs. loss delta power and phase coherence at feedback (Neural H3).

Studietyp

Interventionell

Inskrivning (Beräknad)

54

Fas

  • Inte tillämpbar

Kontakter och platser

Det här avsnittet innehåller kontaktuppgifter för dem som genomför studien och information om var denna studie genomförs.

Studiekontakt

  • Namn: Zoe Howell Doctoral Student PI, M.Res.
  • Telefonnummer: 850-644-2445
  • E-post: brains@psy.fsu.edu

Studieorter

  • Förenta staterna
    • Florida
      • Tallahassee, Florida, Förenta staterna, 32306-4301
        • Har inte rekryterat ännu
        • The BRAINS Lab at Florida State University
        • Kontakt:
          • Zoe A Doctoral Student PI, M.Res.
          • Telefonnummer: 850-644-2445
          • E-post: brains@psy.fsu.edu
      • Tallahassee, Florida, Förenta staterna, 32306-4301
        • Rekrytering
        • The Riddle Lab at Florida State University
        • Kontakt:

Deltagandekriterier

Forskare letar efter personer som passar en viss beskrivning, så kallade behörighetskriterier. Några exempel på dessa kriterier är en persons allmänna hälsotillstånd eller tidigare behandlingar.

Urvalskriterier

Åldrar som är berättigade till studier

18 år till 55 år (Vuxen)

Tar emot friska volontärer

Ja

Kön som är behöriga för studier

Allt

Beskrivning

Inclusion Criteria (General):

  • Aged between 18 - 55 years old.
  • Able to provide informed consent
  • Have normal to corrected vision
  • Willing to comply with all study procedures and be available for the duration of the study
  • Speak and understand English.
  • Negative THC saliva test and alcohol breathalyzer at all lab visits.
  • Negative UTOX for any substance other than THC.

Exclusion Criteria (General):

  • Mania history (Bipolar I, or current mania).
  • Psychosis history.
  • Current suicide intent (score >4 on C-SRSS, or intent >0 on SRA)
  • Current moderate-to-severe SUD or AUD (Except CUD and nicotine for NEMO-CUD).
  • Current pregnancy.
  • Seizure, neurological conditions, or brain surgery history.
  • Implanted medical devices (e.g., cochlear implants, cardiac pacemakers).
  • Change in psychotropic medication in the past 3 months (i.e., medication needs to be stable for 12 weeks).
  • Use of seizure threshold lowering medication (e.g., Stimulants, Benzos, SNRIs, Antipsychotics [Adderall, Vyvanse, Xanax, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, Lithium] - SSRIs not exclusionary).

Specific CUD Inclusion:

  • Avg. 6+ cannabis use days per week over the past 3-months, and 24+ cannabis use days in the past 30 days.
  • Primary delta-9 or THC-A cannabis flower or vape concentrate user.
  • Current moderate-to-severe CUD (4+ criteria in the past year, at least one criterion other than craving must be met in the past three months).
  • Cannabis is the primary substance of use (Nicotine dependence is allowable)
  • Not currently receiving treatment for cannabis, planning to immediately quit or reduce use.
  • Lifetime history of MDE/PDD must have lifetime anhedonia symptom and/or heavy cannabis user (3+ sessions daily for at least past year including the past 3-months and past 30 days).

Specific MDD Inclusion:

  • Current MDE diagnosis.
  • No lifetime history of severe SUD.
  • No current moderate-to-severe SUD.
  • 100% of NEMO-MDD participants elevated anhedonia on TEPS-C (i.e., 32 or lower on TEPS-C subscale).

Specific Control Inclusion:

  • No current or historical psychiatric diagnosis.

Studieplan

Det här avsnittet ger detaljer om studieplanen, inklusive hur studien är utformad och vad studien mäter.

Hur är studien utformad?

Designdetaljer

  • Primärt syfte: Grundläggande vetenskap
  • Tilldelning: Randomiserad
  • Interventionsmodell: Crossover tilldelning
  • Maskning: Dubbel

Vapen och interventioner

Deltagargrupp / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Experimentell: Delta tACS

All participants receive delta (2.5 Hz), theta (6 Hz), and sham tACS across three separate sessions, separated by a 7-10 day washout. Session order is randomised and counterbalanced using a balanced Latin square, within each diagnostic group (CUD, MDD, healthy control). Stimulation is interleaved between the 8 blocks of the EEfRT (e.g., block 1 with stimulation, block 2 without, etc.). EEG activity will be recorded throughout the non-stimulation 4 blocks and proceeding interleaved non-stimulation blocks.
Enhet: Transcranial Alternating Current Delta Stimulation.

Approximately 20-minutes of delta stimulation (2.5Hz) applied to F3 (returns AF7, FC5, FC1) and AFz (returns Fp1, Fp2, F2). Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Device is NeuroConn DC-Stimulator MC.
Aktiv komparator: Theta tACS

All participants receive delta (2.5 Hz), theta (6 Hz), and sham tACS across three separate sessions, separated by a 7-10 day washout. Session order is randomised and counterbalanced using a balanced Latin square, within each diagnostic group (CUD, MDD, healthy control). Stimulation is interleaved between the 8 blocks of the EEfRT (e.g., block 1 with stimulation, block 2 without, etc.). EEG activity will be recorded throughout the non-stimulation 4 blocks and proceeding interleaved non-stimulation blocks.
Enhet: Transcranial Alternating Current Theta Stimulation

Approximately 20-minutes of theta stimulation (6Hz) applied to F3 (returns AF7, FC5, FC1) and AFz (returns Fp1, Fp2, F2). Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Device is NeuroConn DC-Stimulator MC.
Sham Comparator: Sham tACS

All participants receive delta (2.5 Hz), theta (6 Hz), and sham tACS across three separate sessions, separated by a 7-10 day washout. Session order is randomised and counterbalanced using a balanced Latin square, within each diagnostic group (CUD, MDD, healthy control). Stimulation is interleaved between the 8 blocks of the EEfRT (e.g., block 1 with stimulation, block 2 without, etc.). EEG activity will be recorded throughout the non-stimulation 4 blocks and proceeding interleaved non-stimulation blocks.
Enhet: Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation Sham

The tACS stimulation is briefly turned on and off over the course of 15-30 seconds.

Vad mäter studien?

Primära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Effort-updating behavior during decision period.
Tidsram: Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

The % of hard effort choices selected following a win versus following a loss.
Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.
Delta phase coherence between left lateral and medial frontal electrodes during decision period following a win versus following a loss.
Tidsram: Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

Electrical activity of the brain will be recorded via EEG during performance of the task and neurostimulation. Delta phase connectivity between left lateral and medial frontal electrodes during the decision period following a win versus following a loss.
Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.
Reward positivity amplitude
Tidsram: Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

Electrical activity of the brain will be recorded via EEG during performance of the task and neurostimulation. Reward positivity amplitude to wins vs. losses.
Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

Sekundära resultatmått

Resultatmått
Åtgärdsbeskrivning
Tidsram
Delta event-related spectral power
Tidsram: Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

Electrical activity of the brain will be recorded via EEG during performance of the task and neurostimulation. Delta power to wins vs. losses.
Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.
Delta intertrial phase coherence
Tidsram: Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

Electrical activity of the brain will be recorded via EEG during performance of the task and neurostimulation. Delta intertrial phase coherence to wins vs. losses.
Baseline (Day 0), Sham Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Theta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30), Delta Stim. Session (Day 1-10, or Day 10-20, or Day 20-30). Specific range depends on particular counterbalanced order.

Samarbetspartners och utredare

Det är här du hittar personer och organisationer som är involverade i denna studie.

Sponsor

Florida State University

Utredare

  • Huvudutredare: Richard J Macatee, Ph.D., Florida State University

Publikationer och användbara länkar

Den som ansvarar för att lägga in information om studien tillhandahåller frivilligt dessa publikationer. Dessa kan handla om allt som har med studien att göra.

Allmänna publikationer

Studieavstämningsdatum

Dessa datum spårar framstegen för inlämningar av studieposter och sammanfattande resultat till ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieposter och rapporterade resultat granskas av National Library of Medicine (NLM) för att säkerställa att de uppfyller specifika kvalitetskontrollstandarder innan de publiceras på den offentliga webbplatsen.

Studera stora datum

Studiestart (Beräknad)

1 november 2026

Primärt slutförande (Beräknad)

1 april 2027

Avslutad studie (Beräknad)

1 maj 2027

Studieregistreringsdatum

Först inskickad

26 oktober 2026

Först inskickad som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

3 november 2026

Första postat (Faktisk)

9 november 2026

Uppdateringar av studier

Senaste uppdatering publicerad (Faktisk)

9 november 2026

Senaste inskickade uppdateringen som uppfyllde QC-kriterierna

3 november 2026

Senast verifierad

1 oktober 2026

Mer information

Termer relaterade till denna studie

Nyckelord

Ytterligare relevanta MeSH-villkor

Andra studie-ID-nummer

  • STUDY00007710

Plan för individuella deltagardata (IPD)

Planerar du att dela individuella deltagardata (IPD)?

NEJ

IPD-planbeskrivning

The IPD will only be shared under reasonable request. The investigators might not share IPD in order to keep participant confidentiality paramount.

Läkemedels- och apparatinformation, studiedokument

Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad läkemedelsprodukt

Nej

Studerar en amerikansk FDA-reglerad produktprodukt

Ja

produkt tillverkad i och exporterad från U.S.A.

Nej

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