Arousal-related Memory Following Theta Burst Stimulation.
Anxiety
What this study involves
The registry does not currently label this study as recruiting. Ask about its status before planning a screening visit.
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Age range
- 18 years - 50 years
- Sex eligible
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Participants
- 120 Estimated
These are starting points, not an eligibility decision. The research team must review the full requirements.
About the research
Aim 1: Active cTBS to IPS will disrupt arousal-dependent temporal memory, reflected in reduced relative order discrimination accuracy and expanded temporal distance estimates, relative to sham.
Aim 2: Active iTBS to IPS will enhance arousal-dependent temporal memory, reflected in improved relative order discrimination accuracy and compressed temporal distance estimates, relative to sham.
Aim 3: Baseline physiological arousal, trait anxiety (STAI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), trauma symptoms (PCL-5), and individualized E-field strength will predict the magnitude of TBS-induced behavioral changes in temporal memory.
Read the full description
Aim 1 (cTBS): Behavioral outcomes will include relative order discrimination and temporal distance estimation. Data will be analyzed using linear mixed-effects models with fixed effects of stimulation condition (cTBS vs. Sham-cTBS), session (Week 2 vs. Week 4) within the cTBS group, counterbalanced across active and sham sessions, and their interaction, and random intercepts and slopes for participants to account for repeated measures. Continuous physiological arousal (heart rate) and subjective arousal ratings during encoding will be included as covariates. Neural analyses will focus on baseline fMRI collected during high-arousal movie clips. Regions of interest (ROIs) include the intraparietal sulcus, amygdala subregions (basolateral and central-medial), anterior and posterior hippocampus, and perirhinal cortex. IPS-linked network connectivity at baseline will be modeled as a predictor of behavioral sensitivity to cTBS, rather than measuring post-TBS changes. Multiple comparisons will be controlled using false discovery rate (FDR) correction at q \< .05.
Aim 2 (iTBS): Analyses will mirror Aim 1, substituting iTBS versus Sham-iTBS as the primary contrast. Behavioral indices of temporal memory and physiological arousal (heart rate, continuous ratings) during encoding will serve as primary outcomes. Baseline IPS connectivity measures will be used to examine individual susceptibility to iTBS modulation of behavior. ROI-level analyses will apply FDR correction (q \< .05). Voxelwise exploratory analyses of baseline functional connectivity may be conducted, with AFNI 3dLME modeling and cluster correction via 3dClustSim (voxelwise p \< 0.001, cluster α = 0.05).
Aim 3 - Individual Differences and Exploratory Contrasts: Individual difference analyses will incorporate baseline arousal indices, self-report measures (STAI, BAI, PCL-5), and participant-specific electric field (E-field) estimates from SimNIBS (individualized modeling software) as continuous moderators. Mixed-effects models will examine condition × moderator interactions to determine whether baseline physiology, self-report anxiety measures, or E-field strength predict differential behavioral sensitivity to cTBS or iTBS. Session order will be included as a covariate to account for potential practice or carryover effects. FDR correction (q \< .05) will be applied across all behavioral and ROI-level analyses.
Who may be able to participate?
The list below is the sponsor’s full registry wording. It can include conditions, prior treatment, test results and other requirements. A match in search does not mean you qualify.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Able to provide informed consent
- Right-handed (to ensure consistency in motor threshold determination)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Non-English speaking
- Significant medical problems
- Current or past psychiatric disorder
- Active or history of suicidal ideation
- Alcohol or drug problems in the past year, or lifetime alcohol or drug dependence
- Medications affecting the central nervous system
- History of seizure, epilepsy, or other neurological problems
- Any increased risk for seizure
- Pregnancy
- Medical conditions that increase risk for fMRI or TMS
- Metal in the body that makes MRI unsafe
- Medical implants
- Claustrophobia
- Orthostatic hypotension
Treatment, groups and participation
The registry may describe treatments and study duration without a complete visit calendar. Ask the study team for the exact schedule, procedures, risks, costs and alternatives. Keep your usual care plan unless your treating clinician tells you otherwise.
- Assignment
- Random assignment
- Masking
- Triple masked
cTBS
cTBS: Each session will consist of a single continuous 600-pulse train delivered over 40 seconds, comprising 50 Hz bursts repeated at 5 Hz.
Device: Active TMS · Device: Sham TMS
iTBS
iTBS: Each session (\~3.5 min) will consist of 20 trains of 10 seconds, comprising 2 seconds of 50 Hz bursts repeated at 5 Hz, with 8-second inter-train intervals, totaling 600 pulses per session.
Device: Active TMS · Device: Sham TMS
Active TMS DEVICE
Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS): TBS will be delivered using a MagVenture MagPro X100 stimulator with a Cool-B65 A/P coil. One session of 600 pulses will be delivered per visit.
Sham TMS DEVICE
Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS): TBS will be delivered using a MagVenture MagPro X100 stimulator with a Cool-B65 A/P coil. One session of 600 pulses will be delivered per visit.
What researchers are measuring
Outcome measures describe what is being studied. They are not proof that a treatment works.
Primary measures
Relative Order Discrimination
Time frame: Task will be administered immediately following TBS or sham stimulation at Weeks 2 and 4.
Participants will view sequences of emotionally arousing movie clips and judge the chronological order in which specific events occurred. Accuracy in determining sequential order will serve as a primary measure of temporal memory.
Temporal Distance Estimation
Time frame: Task will be administered immediately following TBS or sham stimulation at Weeks 2 and 4.
Following each clip sequence, participants will estimate the perceived temporal distance between events. These estimates will capture subjective distortions in the encoding of elapsed time under arousal.
Review the complete result tables and limitations in the official record.
Open official results ↗Research locations (0)
The overall study status and a local site’s status can differ. Confirm that location’s availability before traveling.
No locations are listed. Use the official study contact.
Study team and timeline
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Study start
- Dec 1, 2026 Estimated
- Primary completion
- May 30, 2030 Estimated
- Study completion
- May 30, 2030 Estimated
- First posted
- May 4, 2026 Actual
- Last updated
- Nov 10, 2026 Actual
Official study contacts
Official study title
Arousal-related Memory of Movie Clips During Individualized IPS Targeting fMRI and TBS.
Ask Wellness Clinical Research
Your message goes to WCR, including when this study is run by another organization. WCR may offer general guidance but may not operate this trial, have access to its team or be able to enroll you.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Information is submitted by sponsors and investigators. NLM does not approve the safety or science of all listed studies. Registry disclaimer.
Retrieved: Nov 12, 2026 · Last registry update: Nov 10, 2026