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Brain Activity and Emotion-Duration Estimation Study

This study is looking for 50 healthy volunteers aged 18-45 to understand how specific brain regions help us process emotions and how long they last. Researchers will use a technique called TMS Stimulation (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) on different parts of your brain (FPl, mid-LPFC, or a control area called S1) while you complete tasks involving positive and negative emotional images. The goal is to see how these brain areas work together to help you make decisions based on both emotional feelings and how long those feelings are present. Success will be measured by changes in your brain activity (Multivariate BOLD metrics) and your behavior during the tasks, over an average of 12-14 months. The study is currently recruiting participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study with 50 participants. It involves manipulating brain activity using TMS Stimulation while participants perform tasks.
What's involved
You will participate in multiple fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and TMS+fMRI sessions. You will view sequences of emotional images and indicate whether positive or negative events lasted longer.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your brain activity and behavioral responses will be measured through study completion, which is an average of 12-14 months.

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NCT06276400

LPFC Organization in Emotion-Duration Difference Estimation

Recruiting
NAAges 18–45InterventionalBasic science
University of California, Santa Barbara
~50 participants
Updated 2026-05-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Emotion valenceTimeTMS Stimulation

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Multivariate BOLD metrics
Measured over Through study completion, an average of 12-14 months
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Healthy

Explore related trials

Healthy

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
California1

Study leadership

  • Regina Lapate, Ph.D. · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of California, Santa Barbara

Who to contact

Mengsi Li, M.S.
[email protected]
805-837-5206
Email the study team

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Do you actually qualify for this trial?

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

right-handed
between the ages of 18 and 45
be a fluent English speaker
have normal to corrected-to-normal vision.

Exclusion

if they report a current or prior diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder requiring hospitalization and/or are currently using psychiatric medication; o If they report a history of or current neurological disease (i.e., stroke, concussion, epilepsy, major head trauma, complicated migraine);
If they ever had a seizure;
If they have a family history of epilepsy or seizure disorders;
If they have a history of fainting;
If they are sleep deprived (TMS only);
If they have a history of prior surgery with metal clips, implants, devices, prosthetics, cardiac or neural implants (e.g., pacemaker; neurostimulator), or cochlear implants;
If they are unable to safely and comfortably complete an MRI: have metal in the body, recent surgery, presence of surgically implanted devices not cleared for MRI, extreme claustrophobia, if they report tattoos of the head or neck region, non-removable metal piercing anywhere on the body
Women will be asked to self-report their pregnancy status and have the option to take a pregnancy test if they wish. If there is a chance a participant is pregnant, they will not be scanned.
As part of the newly adopted UCSB BIC prescreening procedure, participants will be asked about their history of hearing issues (including loss, hyperacuity, sensitivity to loud noises, history of tinnitus (ringing in ears), job with high noise exposure, and chronic migraines. Participants will be excluded if one or more hearing issues are reported.

What this trial measures

  • Multivariate BOLD metricsThrough study completion, an average of 12-14 months

    The investigators will use BOLD activation patterns measured from each ROI to fit quantitative models of emotional valence, time, and action goal encoding. These models will be used to classify stimulus representations on experimental trials to quantify how stimulus representations are encoded in each brain region studies, and how these representations change across experimental manipulations. These measurements will be used to test the impact of stimulus manipulations on stimulus representations in different brain regions.

  • Behavioral responseThrough study completion, an average of 12-14 months

    On all trials participants will be instructed to attend carefully to report which valence of emotional images shown for a longer duration by pressing one of two buttons held in their hand inside the scanner. The correct button to be pressed is determined by the valence, the presentation duration, and the color of a triangle (the contextual cue). Investigators will ensure participants are performing the task as instructed by providing practices and assessing the accuracy of their behavioral responses.