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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05847933

Influence of Temporo-occipital Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation on Aversive Episodic Memory Performance

A pilot study, examining the effect of repeated transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (rTMS) on the formation of memories with negative valence. The investigators hypothesize that an effective rTMS protocol to reduce memory performance for adverse events can be found.

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Key information

Conditions

Memory, Episodic Disease Attributes Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Recurrence

Age range

18 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Basel, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience

Basel, Canton of Basel-City, 4055, Switzerland

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female
  • Generally healthy
  • Normotensive (BP 90/60mmHg - 140/90mmHg)
  • BMI: 19 - 30 kg/m2
  • Age: 18 - 30 years
  • Fluent German-speaking

Exclusion criteria

  • Metal in the brain, skull or elsewhere in the body (e.g., splinters, fragments, clips, etc.)
  • Implanted neurostimulator (e.g., DBS, epidural/subdural, VNS)
  • Cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
  • Medication infusion device
  • Nonremovable Piercings in the head area, pivot teeth (retainers are no exclusion criterion)
  • Tattoos (head area) less than 3 months old or older than 20 years
  • Condition after neurosurgery
  • Hearing problems or tinnitus
  • Not able to sit still due to tremor, tics, itching
  • History of repeated syncope
  • Head trauma diagnosed as concussion or associated with loss of consciousness
  • diagnosis of epilepsy, or a convulsion or a seizure in the past of the participant or his/her close family
  • TMS in the past showing problems
  • Surgical procedures to spinal cord
  • Spinal or ventricular derivations
  • Alcohol or drug intake 48 hours before start of visits
  • Regular intake of any medication or CNS-active medication 48h before visit
  • rMT above the limits of rTMS device.

Treatment and study plan

rTMS (cTBS 50Hz experiment)

Device

rTMS using cTBS protocol with the following characteristics:

  • Frequency: trains of 50 Hz (3 pulses) every 200ms (frequency of 5 Hz, in the range of theta band)
  • Intensity: 80% of resting motor threshold (rMT)
  • Location: consecutively on the left and right temporo-occipital cortex (MNI coordinates: left hemisphere: -50, -72, 4; right hemisphere:50, -66, 0)
  • Duration: 40 seconds for each hemisphere, 80 seconds in total.
  • Timing: Immediately before viewing pictures in pictorial memory task (off-line)

rTMS (cTBS sham)

Device

rTMS using cTBS protocol with the following characteristics:

  • Frequency: trains of 50 Hz (3 pulses) every 200ms (frequency of 5 Hz, in the range of theta band)
  • Intensity: 0%
  • Location: consecutively on the left and right temporo-occipital cortex (MNI coordinates: left hemisphere: -50, -72, 4; right hemisphere:50, -66, 0)
  • Duration: 40 seconds for each hemisphere, 80 seconds in total.
  • Timing: Immediately before viewing pictures in pictorial memory task (off-line)

rTMS (cTBS 50 Hz active control)

Device

rTMS using cTBS protocol with the following characteristics:

  • Frequency: trains of 50 Hz (3 pulses) every 200ms (frequency of 5 Hz, in the range of theta band)
  • Intensity: 80% of resting motor threshold (rMT)
  • Location: Right superior frontal cortex
  • Duration: 40 seconds for each hemisphere, 80 seconds in total.
  • Timing: Immediately before viewing pictures in pictorial memory task (off-line)

rTMS (high frequency)

Device

rTMS using high frequency protocol with the following characteristics:

  • Frequency: 20 Hz
  • Intensity: 120% of rMT for rMT < 54% & 65% of MSO for rMT ≥ 54%
  • Location: temporo-occipital cortex of the dominant brain hemisphere
  • Duration: 20 minutes, continuously
  • Timing: During the pictorial memory task (on-line) 1 second stimulation and 14 seconds inter-train interval for 76 trains resulting in a total of 1520 pulses.

rTMS (low frequency)

Device

rTMS using Low frequency protocol with the following characteristics:

  • Frequency: 1 Hz
  • Intensity: 110% of rMT
  • Location: temporo-occipital cortex of dominant brain hemisphere (MNI left hemisphere: -50, -72, 4; right hemisphere:50, -66, 0)
  • Duration: 30 minutes, continuously
  • Timing: Starting 10 minutes before and continuing during the picture viewing and valence rating of the pictures of the memory task (on-line).

rTMS (high frequency sham)

Device
  • Frequency: 20 Hz
  • Intensity: 10% of MSO
  • Location: temporo-occipital cortex of the dominant brain hemisphere
  • Duration: 20 minutes, continuously
  • Timing: During the pictorial memory task (on-line) 1 second stimulation and 14 seconds inter-train interval for 76 trains resulting in a total of 1520 pulses.

rTMS (high frequency active control)

Device
  • Frequency: 20 Hz
  • Intensity: 120% of rMT for rMT < 54% & 65% of MSO for rMT ≥ 54%
  • Location: right superior frontal cortex of the dominant brain hemisphere
  • Duration: 20 minutes, continuously
  • Timing: During the pictorial memory task (on-line) 1 second stimulation and 14 seconds inter-train interval for 76 trains resulting in a total of 1520 pulses.

rTMS (low frequency active control )

Device
  • Frequency: 1 Hz
  • Intensity: 110% of rMT
  • Location: Right superior frontal cortex of the dominant brain hemisphere
  • Duration: 6 minutes
  • Timing: Starting 1 minutes before and continuing during the memory task (Online)

rTMS ( cTBS 30 Hz active control)

Device
  • Bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz:
  • Frequency: trains of 30 Hz (3 pulses) every 167 ms (frequency of 6 Hz, in the range of theta band)
  • Intensity: 100% of resting motor threshold (rMT)
  • Location: consecutively on right superior frontal cortex
  • Duration: 33.3 seconds for each side
  • Timing: Immediately before pictorial memory task (off-line)

rTMS (cTBS 30 Hz)

Device
  • Bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz:
  • Frequency: trains of 30 Hz (3 pulses) every 167 ms (frequency of 6 Hz, in the range of theta band)
  • Intensity: 100% of resting motor threshold (rMT)
  • Location: consecutively on left and right temporo-occipital cortex
  • Duration: 33.3 seconds for each side
  • Timing: Immediately before pictorial memory task (off-line)

Primary outcomes

  1. memory recall performance

    Time frame: On average 1 hour after intervention

    The difference between valence specific (negative, positive, and neutral) memory performance as assessed by a standard picture recall episodic memory task.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Working memory performance

    Time frame: On average 1 hour after intervention

    Working memory performance measured by n-back task

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Pilot Study on the Influence of Temporo-occipital Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation on Aversive Episodic Memory Performance

Acronym: SAME

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
May 8, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 29, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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