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Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Reward Learning

This study is looking at how a brain stimulation technique called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) affects how people learn from rewards. Researchers will use single pulse TMS on the left frontal cortex of your brain. They want to see if this changes a specific brain wave (frontal midline theta) that is linked to how your brain processes rewards, and if this then impacts your choices during tasks. You might be able to join if you are between 18 and 55 years old, are in good mental and physical health, and are not pregnant. The study aims to enroll 28 participants. The current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study with 28 planned participants. It uses a randomized controlled-trial design, meaning participants are randomly assigned to different groups.
What's involved
You would complete two TMS sessions within two weeks. During each session, you will wear an EEG cap and perform a virtual T-maze reward task while receiving either active or sham TMS.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Reward learning and brain oscillations will be measured on Day 0 (the day of testing) for each session.

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

NCT06323057

Modulating Reward Learning Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Completed
NAAges 18–55InterventionalBasic science
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
~36 participants
Updated 2026-09-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Single pulse TMS to the frontal cortex

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Event-related Brain Oscillation: Frontal Midline Theta
Measured over [Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing)]
+1 more outcome measured

Conditions

Behavior

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Healthy Volunteers

NCT06323057

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Rutgers University - Newark

    Newark, New Jerseyno site contact published

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Who to contact

This trial hasn't published a contact. View it on ClinicalTrials.gov

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Be between the ages of 18 and 55 years old.
Be in stable mental and physical health.
If female, test non-pregnant.
Be willing to provide informed consent.
Be able to comply with protocol requirements and likely to complete all study procedures.

Exclusion

Contraindication to rTMS (history of neurological disorder or seizure, increased intracranial pressure, brain surgery, or head trauma with loss of consciousness for \> 15 minutes, implanted electronic device, metal in the head, or pregnancy).
History of autoimmune, endocrine, viral, or vascular disorder affecting the brain.
Life time history of mental disorders such as: Bipolar Affective disorder (BPAD), Schizophrenia, Post-traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) or Dementia or Major Depression.
uninterruptable central nervous system medication

What this trial measures

  • Event-related Brain Oscillation: Frontal Midline Theta[Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing)]

    Frontal-midline theta (FMT: 4-8 hz) is a scalp recorded brain oscillation sensitive to the processing of reward stimulus presented during decision making tasks. FMT will be measured during the presentation of the reward stimulus (Reward, No-reward) during task performance. A time-frequency analysis will be used to measure FMT power for each electrode by averaging the single-trial EEG according to feedback type (reward and no-reward). The size of the FMT will be determined by identifying the maximum amplitude of the FMT response and evaluated at frontal electrodes. The FMT will be measured for each proposed phase target group across active and sham conditions, and used to measure the efficacy of the TMS target to modulate brain activity associated with reward processing.

  • Reward learning[Time Frame: Day 0 (day of testing)]

    Decision making behavioral measures of interest consist of learning and test phase accuracy, reaction time, and post-error reaction time (ΔRT, subsequent negative feedback trial RT minus the current trial RT, with higher values reflecting greater adaption or slowing).