Physiology of Human Brain Connectivity Study

This study is looking for 80 healthy adults, aged 18-64, to understand how different parts of the brain connect and communicate. Researchers will use non-invasive techniques like single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS) and paired associative stimulation (PAS) to gently stimulate specific brain areas. They will also use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get detailed pictures of your brain. The main goal is to see how these stimulations change brain activity, measured by electroencephalography (EEG), which helps us understand how brain connections develop and are adjusted. The study is currently recruiting participants.

Study design: This is an interventional study involving 80 healthy adults. It uses non-invasive brain stimulation and imaging techniques.
What's involved: You will undergo single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS), paired associative stimulation (PAS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Electroencephalography (EEG) will also be recorded during the sessions.
Compensation: Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up: Changes in EEG effective connectivity will be measured before, 5 minutes after, and 60 minutes after paired associative stimulation (PAS).

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Physiology of Human Brain Connectivity

Recruiting

NAAges 18–64InterventionalBasic science

Massachusetts General Hospital

~80 participants

Updated 2025-11-10 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What's tested:Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS)Paired associative stimulation (PAS)Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

At a glance

Recruiting sites

1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now

RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open

What they're measuring

Changes in EEG effective connectivity

Measured over Within-session (Before PAS, 5 minutes after PAS, 60 minutes after PAS)

Conditions

Healthy

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states

Massachusetts1

Study leadership

Tommi Raij, MD, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Massachusetts General Hospital

Who to contact

Netri Pajankar, MS

[email protected]

617-726-2000

Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Age from 18 to 64 years

Right-handed

Normal hearing and (corrected) vision

Able to understand and give informed consent

Exclusion

Cardiac pacemaker or pacemaker wires; neurostimulators; implanted pumps

Metal in the body (e.g., rods, plates, screws, shrapnel, dentures that cannot be removed during the recordings, IUD)

Suspected metallic particles in the eye

Surgical clips in the head or previous neurosurgery

Any magnetic particles in the body

Cochlear implants

Prosthetic heart valves

Epilepsy or any other type of seizure history

Any neurological diagnoses or medications influencing brain function

History of significant head trauma (i.e., extended loss of consciousness, neurological sequelae)

Known structural brain lesion

Significant other disease (heart disease, malignant tumors, mental disorders)

Significant claustrophobia; Ménière's disease

Pregnancy (ruled out by urine ß-HCG if answers to screening questions suggest that pregnancy is possible), breast feeding

Non prescribed drug use

Failure to perform the behavioral tasks or neuropsychological evaluation tests

Prisoners

What this trial measures

Changes in EEG effective connectivityWithin-session (Before PAS, 5 minutes after PAS, 60 minutes after PAS)
EEG will be recorded with a 64-channel whole-head TMS-compatible device (NeurOne 64, Bittium, Kuopio, Finland). Data will be collected before (Pre) and at 5 minutes (Post-1) and at 60 minutes (Post-2) after PAS. To record spTMS-evoked EEG responses the investigators will deliver 80 single TMS pulses to the two areas receiving PAS, one target after the other in separate runs. Effective connectivity will be measured by comparing the source-resolved EEG evoked response waveforms before (Pre) and at 5 (Post-1) and at 60 minutes after PAS (Post-2).

Trialytics