Influence of Temporo-occipital Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation on Aversive Episodic Memory Performance

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Memory, Episodic

• Registration Number: NCT05847933
• Lead Sponsor: Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD

Brief Summary

A pilot study, examining the effect of repeated transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (rTMS) on the formation of memories with negative valence. The investigators hypothesize that an effective rTMS protocol to reduce memory performance for adverse events can be found.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-04-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-04-27
• Study First Posted: 2023-05-08
• Study Start: 2023-06-06
• Primary Completion: 2025-04-01
• Study Completion: 2025-05-31
• Status Verified: 2025-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-07-28
• Last Update Posted: 2025-07-29

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 105

Inclusion Criteria

• Male or female
• Generally healthy
• Normotensive (BP 90/60mmHg - 140/90mmHg)
• BMI: 19 - 30 kg/m2
• Age: 18 - 30 years
• Fluent German-speaking

Exclusion Criteria

• Metal in the brain, skull or elsewhere in the body (e.g., splinters, fragments, clips, etc.)
• Implanted neurostimulator (e.g., DBS, epidural/subdural, VNS)
• Cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
• Medication infusion device
• Nonremovable Piercings in the head area, pivot teeth (retainers are no exclusion criterion)
• Tattoos (head area) less than 3 months old or older than 20 years
• Condition after neurosurgery
• Hearing problems or tinnitus
• Not able to sit still due to tremor, tics, itching
• History of repeated syncope
• Head trauma diagnosed as concussion or associated with loss of consciousness
• diagnosis of epilepsy, or a convulsion or a seizure in the past of the participant or his/her close family
• TMS in the past showing problems
• Surgical procedures to spinal cord
• Spinal or ventricular derivations
• Alcohol or drug intake 48 hours before start of visits
• Regular intake of any medication or CNS-active medication 48h before visit
• rMT above the limits of rTMS device.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SEQUENTIAL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
memory recall performance	On average 1 hour after intervention	The difference between valence specific (negative, positive, and neutral) memory performance as assessed by a standard picture recall episodic memory task.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Working memory performance	On average 1 hour after intervention	Working memory performance measured by n-back task

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Basel, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience; 🇨🇭 Basel, BS, Switzerland