Clinical trial NCT04926961: Testing the Contribution of Orbitofrontal Cortex Networks to Reward Identity Learning
Official title: Testing the Contribution of Orbitofrontal Cortex Networks to Reward Identity Learning
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Healthy
Lead sponsor: Northwestern University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2021-06-15
Enrollment: 42
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Intervention model description: Participants receive both sham TMS stimulation and real TMS stimulation in different sessions.
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: This research study examines the contribution of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) networks to learning reward identity expectations.

Detailed description: This study is designed to examine the contribution of OFC networks to reward identity learning. It will use network-targeted TMS to test whether OFC is necessary for reward identity learning. Healthy human subjects will perform a three-reward reversal learning task after either TMS or sham stimulation while fMRI data are acquired. This is a randomized, within-subject, cross-over study.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age between 18 and 50 years old
* Right-handed
* Fluent English speakers

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of significant neurological conditions (e.g., epilepsy, dementia, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, etc.)
* History of major psychiatric conditions (e.g., general anxiety disorder, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, alcoholism, etc.)
* Significant medical illnesses (e.g., cancer, meningitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, etc.)
* Significant cerebrovascular risk factors (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, etc.)
* Current use of psychoactive medications (e.g., barbiturates, benzodiazepines, chloral hydrate, haloperidol, lithium, carbamazepine, phenytoin, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, diazepam, etc.)
* Smell or taste dysfunction
* History of significant allergies requiring hospitalization for treatment
* History of severe asthma requiring hospitalization for treatment
* Habitual smoking
* Magnetic implants (e.g., shunts or stents, aneurysm clips, surgical clips, cochlear implants, metal bone/joint pins, plates and screws, eyelid spring or wires, etc.)
* Electronic devices (e.g., implanted cardiac defibrillator, cardiac pacemaker, deep brain/spinal cord or nerve stimulator, internal electrodes/wires, medication infusion devices, etc.)
* History of metal working without proper eye protection, or injury with metal shrapnel or metal slivers
* Claustrophobia
* Pregnancy
* Predisposition to seizures (e.g., personal history of seizures, family history of seizures epilepsy, pregnancy, alcoholism, etc.)
* Use of medications that increase the likelihood of seizures (e.g., bupropion, citalopram, duloxetine, ketamine, gamma-hydroxybutyrate, etc.)
* History of surgical procedures performed on the brain or spinal cord
* History of severe head trauma followed by loss of consciousness
* History of fainting spells or syncope
* Hearing problems or tinnitus

Primary outcomes:
measure: Percentage of correct outcome predictions
timeFrame: 1 hour
measure: Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses
timeFrame: 1 hour
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Chicago
country: United States
facility: Northwestern University
state: Illinois
Study officials:
affiliation: Northwestern University
name: Christina Zelano, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: