Recruiting

Cognitive Sequencing

Sponsor:

Johns Hopkins University

Code:

NCT06108336

Conditions

Effects of Cerebellar Stimulation on Brain Activation

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

TMS during sequence-demanding task

No TMS during sequence-demanding task

TMS during non-sequence-demanding task

No TMS during non-sequence-demanding task

Study Details

Brief summary:

Although there is increasing recognition that the cerebellum is involved in cognition as well as motor function, the manner in which the cerebellum contributes to cognition is uncertain. One theory that might account for both motor and cognitive contributions of the cerebellum is that the cerebellum is involved in sequencing of relevant events or stimuli. Previous experiments have suggested that disruption of the cerebellum impairs the prediction of the next event in a sequence. The present experiment will examine the impact of cerebellar stimulation on brain activation during the performance of both sequence-demanding and non-sequence-demanding tasks.

Conditions

Effects of Cerebellar Stimulation on Brain Activation

Study ID

NCT06108336

Start date

Mar 1, 2024

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Jul 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 50

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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 Criteria:

  • 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
  • 9\) Additional exclusion criteria recommended by Wassermann for TMS neuromodulation, including: History of seizure or a family history of epilepsy, heart disease, intracardiac lines, increased intracranial pressure, history of head trauma, and history of respiratory disease

Study Design

Enrollment

50 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Cerebellar Stimulation

TMS will be administered to the cerebellum on half the trials of a sequence-demanding task, and on half the trials of a non-sequence-demanding task. Task order will be counterbalanced.

active comparator: Occipital Stimulation

TMS will be administered to an occipital control region on half the trials of a sequence-demanding task, and on half the trials of a non-sequence-demanding task. Task order will be counterbalanced.

Interventions

TMS during sequence-demanding task

TMS is administered during the execution of sequence-demanding task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive technique for transiently modulating brain activity

No TMS during sequence-demanding task

TMS is not administered during the execution of sequence-demanding task.

TMS during non-sequence-demanding task

TMS is administered during the execution of non-sequence-demanding task. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive technique for transiently modulating brain activity

No TMS during non-sequence-demanding task

TMS is not administered during the execution of non-sequence-demanding task

Primary outcome measure

  • functional magnetic resonance imaging brain activation [ Time Frame: during scan up to 1 hour ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

John E Desmond, Ph.D.

410-502-3583jdesmon2@jhmi.edu

JoAnna Mathena, MS

443-571-0947labnim@jh.edu

Locations

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Recruiting

Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21205

More Information

Sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Last update posted

Jul 22, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Keywords

  • sequencing
  • cerebellum
  • transcranial magnetic stimulation
  • TMS
  • functional MRI
  • fMRI
  • verbal working memory

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Johns Hopkins University on 2026-07-22.