Neural Mechanisms of the Social Brain | Clinical Trial

Key information

Conditions

Live Face Processing in Typically Developed Participants

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Yale School of Medicine

New Haven, Connecticut, 06511, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Joy Hirsch, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

917-494-7768

About this study

After being informed about the study and potential risks, all participants giving written informed consent will undergo a structural MRI image for anatomical localization of the targeted stimulation site. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two TMS target locations, and will be identified for the TMS experiments. Two to three days prior to the TMS experiment, participants will undergo a before TMS/fNIRS experiment. On the day of the TMS experiment participants will undergo a functional dyadic neuroimaging session after TMS stimulation. For the neuromodulation experiments, tDCS, selected sites for stimulation will be identified on the T1 anatomical scans for each participant who will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. In each case the face-gaze fNIRS experiment will be run. Aim 2: Two targeted sites will be confirmed as neural hubs by modification of fiducial neural regions based on the findings of cTBS disruptions. Rationale: These locations and functional specializations are necessary for the proposed neuromodulation tests in the upcoming clinical trial phase.

Part 1: Stimulate to disrupt the site associated with eye-to-eye contact hypothesized to be right superior parietal lobule. Part 2: Stimulate to disrupt the site associated with live face gaze hypothesized to be right supramarginal gyrus.

The focus of this registration is Aim 2.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

-Self reported typically developed adults.

Exclusion criteria

-No prior history of seizure activity. Self reported absence of recreational drugs at time of study.

Treatment and study plan

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Device

TMS to targeted regions. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, tDCS, to targeted and sham regions.

Primary outcomes

Percent change in hemodynamic signals

Time frame: Baseline and At time of measurement, approximately one hour

Statistical comparison of measures before and after stimulation. Measurement of brain oxygenation during cognitive assessment. The variable of interest will be changes in fNIRS oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin signals (% change from baseline) during the cognitive assessment.
Electroencephalography (EEG) response to live face gaze

Time frame: At time of measurement, approximately one hour

Statistical comparison of measures before and after stimulation. EEG response to live face gaze is acquired for frequencies between 1 and 20 Hz. Oscillatory signals will be partitioned into Theta (4-8 Hz) and Alpha (8-12 Hz) frequencies for comparisons before and after TMS. Higher values indicate better score.
Eye Contact Behavior

Time frame: At time of measurement, approximately one hour

Statistical comparison of measures before and after stimulation (amplitude). Free viewing Eye tracking measures are detected by light reflections acquired at 120 Hz. Eye to eye contact is computationally determined by comparison of the eye tracking measures between the two partners.
Face Gaze Behavior

Time frame: At time of measurement, approximately one hour

Statistical comparison of measures before and after stimulation (Action Units). Facial dynamics are quantified by rapid photography and AI programs (OpenFace) that classify categories of facial expressions. There are 17 facial expressions that will be acquired during the face gaze conditions.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Joy Hirsch, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

9174947768

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Yale University

Other

Collaborators

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Live Face-to-Face Interactions

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2028
Study completion: 2028
First posted: Mar 9, 2026
Registry last updated: Jul 13, 2026

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.