Mechanism of Non-invasive Magnetic Stimulation

🩺 Protocol Summary

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is form of non-invasive brain stimulation. It is approved to treat depression. TMS may help decrease drug craving. It is important to understand how TMS affects the brain. Such a better understanding would help to design ways to treat drug addiction. Objectives: To learn how TMS affects the brain when it stimulates an area in the front of the brain. Also, to see how the stimulation affects the area stimulated and other connected areas. Eligibility: Healthy, right-handed adults ages 18-60 who are non-drug users. Design: Participants will be screened under protocol 06-DA-N415. Participants will have at least 3 visits. The first visit will last about 3 hours. All other visits will last up to 6 hours. Participants cannot use drugs or alcohol at least 24 hours before a visit. They cannot have more than half a cup of a caffeinated drink at least 12 hours before a visit. Each visit will include a brief medical history update, urine test for drugs and pregnancy (if female), a breath test for alcohol and smoking, and questionnaires. Participants will have a TMS orientation visit. A wire coil will be placed on the head. An electrical current will pass through the coil to create a magnetic pulse that stimulates the brain. The other visits will include 2 sessions of TMS-MRI. Participants will lie on a table that slides into a cylinder. The TMS coil and the MRI coil will be placed over the head. Pictures will be taken of the brain with and without stimulation. Participants will complete a questionnaire about how they feel before and after each TMS session and in a follow-up call 1-3 days after their last session.

Primary Research Facility: National Institute on Drug Abuse (Baltimore, Maryland)

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📍 Primary Site Map

Site: National Institute on Drug Abuse — Baltimore, Maryland

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