Cerebellar Involvement in Cognitive Sequencing Study

This study is looking at how a part of your brain called the cerebellum helps with thinking, specifically with tasks that involve putting things in order (sequencing). Researchers will use Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), a safe way to temporarily change brain activity, while you complete different tasks. They want to see how TMS affects your brain activity during these tasks, which will be measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This study is for people aged 18 to 50 who are right-handed, fluent in English, and have at least 8 years of education. The goal is to understand the cerebellum's role in cognitive sequencing.

Study design: This is an interventional study planning to enroll 50 participants. It involves different conditions where TMS is either given or not given during sequence-demanding or non-sequence-demanding tasks.
What's involved: You will participate in tasks while receiving or not receiving TMS. Your brain activation will be measured using fMRI during a scan that lasts up to 1 hour.
Compensation: Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up: Your brain activation will be measured during the scan, which lasts up to 1 hour.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

Cerebellar Involvement in Cognitive Sequencing

Recruiting

NAAges 18–50InterventionalBasic science

Johns Hopkins University

~50 participants

Updated 2026-07-22 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What's tested:TMS during sequence-demanding taskNo TMS during sequence-demanding taskTMS during non-sequence-demanding taskNo TMS during non-sequence-demanding task

At a glance

Recruiting sites

1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now

RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open

What they're measuring

functional magnetic resonance imaging brain activation

Measured over during scan up to 1 hour

Conditions

Effects of Cerebellar Stimulation on Brain Activation

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states

Maryland1

Study leadership

John E Desmond, Ph.D. · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Johns Hopkins University

Who to contact

John E Desmond, Ph.D.

[email protected]

410-502-3583

Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

1\) Age 18-50;

2\) educational attainment of at least 8 years;

3\) capable of giving informed consent;

4\) fluent speaker of English by self-report;

5\) right handed.

Exclusion

1\) illicit drug use within 30 days of MRI scanning;

2\) neurological or systemic disorder which can cause dementia or cognitive dysfunction;

3\) history of an Axis I psychiatric disorder including substance use disorder;

4\) history of definite stroke;

5\) focal lesion on MRI exam;

6\) uncorrected visual deficits by self-report

7\) contraindications for MRI scanning

8\) use of anxiolytic, antidepressant, neuroleptic, or sedative medication

What this trial measures

functional magnetic resonance imaging brain activationduring scan up to 1 hour
functional magnetic resonance imaging brain activation. For the sequential task, a sequence of letters is presented and the subject is presented with number signs, one at a time, to guide rehearsal of the sequence. At some point a probe letter is presented and the subject indicates by button press if the probe is the next letter in the sequence. For the non-sequential task, subjects do not have a guided rehearsal, and the response to the probe indicates if the probe was one of the letters originally presented. Brain activation in response to the probe will be measured with brain stimulation vs no brain stimulation for each task

Trialytics