Probing Cortical Excitability and Cognitive Function With TMS
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT03652012. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
Data is sourced from official ClinicalTrials.gov public API records. Always review the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for the latest information.
Official title
Probing Cortical Excitability and Cognitive Function in Mild Cognitive Impairment With Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
The overarching purpose of this study is to develop a technique that is capable of identifying neurophysiological biomarkers sensitive enough to detect preclinical dementia by integrating Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). More specifically, this project has two specific aims: * 1\. To characterize cortical excitability and its relation to cognitive function using single-pulse TMS paradigm in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and healthy older adults. * 2\. To delineate cortical plasticity and its association to cognitive function using repetitive TMS paradigm and resting-state fMRI in MCI and healthy older adults. Techniques to artificially and precisely stimulate brain tissue are increasingly recognized as valuable tools both in clinical practice and in cognitive neuroscience studies among healthy individuals. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive approach to stimulate the brain. Importantly, unlike other invasive brain stimulation techniques (e.g., surgical deep brain stimulation), no surgery, anesthesia, or sedation is involved. Instead, TMS involves placing a magnetic coil on the surface of the head. This coil then generates a magnetic field that is about the same strength as the magnetic field used by MRI machines, and when this magnetic field rapidly alternates, the neurons under the coil are excited. Extensive guidelines have been published by experts in the field to ensure safe use, and the thousands of patients \& research participants who have received TMS in compliance with these guidelines demonstrate the safety of this practice. Depending on the method of use, TMS is very versatile -- it can be used to study research questions pertaining to the neural circuitry of the brain, it can be used as a diagnostic device, and it can be used therapeutically to treat various neurological conditions. In this study, the investigators intend to further study the potential for diagnostic applications of TMS. More specifically, TMS and brain imaging techniques will be used in combination in order to more sensitively diagnose dementia - perhaps even before symptoms emerge. Right now, there is no reliable method for doing so and it is difficult to distinguish between the forgetfulness of healthy aging and the early signs of disease. Our approach may provide a more sensitive diagnostic tool, which is likely to improve clinical outcomes.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT03652012
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Enrollment
- 40 participants
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 60 Years to 75 Years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepts healthy volunteers
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Apr 2, 2018
- Primary completion
- Mar 3, 2020
- Completion
- Mar 3, 2020
- Last update posted
- Jun 10, 2025
2018 – 2020
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 1
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 1
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona | Tucson | Arizona | 85721 | — |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT03652012, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Jun 10, 2025 · Synced Sep 3, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT03652012 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.