Studies of Blood Flow to the Brain During Thought
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The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details. |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00001360 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : November 4, 1999
Last Update Posted : March 17, 2023
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The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to measure changes in blood flow to areas in the brain as individuals perform intellectual tasks.
This study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine blood flow to areas of the brain as participants engage in tasks associated with visual perception, visual recognition, and memory.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment |
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Healthy Volunteer | Drug: 0-15 Water |
Objective:
Our goal is to study the functional organization of the intact human brain by combining cognitive tasks and neuroimaging. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) will be used to measure brain activity in healthy human subjects engaged in performing cognitive tasks. These tasks will address specific questions concerning the neural systems that mediate perception, attention, memory, decision-making, emotion, plasticity and social interactions. fMRI and MEG, respectively, will be employed to investigate the spatial and temporal aspects of these neural systems.
Study Population:
Normal volunteer participants aged 18-65, who are in good general health will be recruited from the local community and studied under this minimal risk protocol.
Design:
Subjects will perform cognitive tasks in behavioral and/or neuroimaging sessions (fMRI or MEG).
Outcome Measures:
Behavior as performance on cognitive tasks, and brain activity (fMRI and MEG) will be combined to yield information about the neural correlates and processes underlying different aspects of human cognition including visual perception, memory, learning, emotion, social cognition, decision-making and attention.
Study Type : | Observational |
Estimated Enrollment : | 4100 participants |
Observational Model: | Cohort |
Time Perspective: | Cross-Sectional |
Official Title: | Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Studies of Object Perception, Identification, Localization, and Memory |
Actual Study Start Date : | September 17, 1993 |
Group/Cohort | Intervention/treatment |
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1
Normal volunteer participants aged 18-65 who are in good general health.
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Drug: 0-15 Water |
- Cognitive tasks and neuroimaging. [ Time Frame: ongoing ]Cognitive tasks and neuroimaging.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | Yes |
Sampling Method: | Non-Probability Sample |
- INCLUSION CRITERIA:
Healthy adults, with at least a high school education, aged 18 to 65 years, will be recruited to participate in the study.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Subjects will be excluded if they:
- are an NIMH employee or a relative
- have evidence of, or a history of:
- major medical, neurological or psychiatric illness
- serious head injury
- learning disability-drug or alcohol abuse or dependence in the past 3 months, except nicotine
-are taking prescription drugs or supplements that may affect brain function-
-have serious vision or hearing problems
In addition to the above, additional exclusion criteria apply for all MRI studies:
- Female subjects who are pregnant or have a positive pregnancy test 24 hours prior to an experiment will be excluded from neuroimaging studies.
- All subjects will be questioned prior to MRI scanning for possible occupational exposure to metal slivers or shavings, which may have become accidentally lodged in the tissues of the head or neck. Subjects with surgical clips or shrapnel in or near the brain or blood vessels, subjects with cochlear implants, subjects with any metallic body in the eye or CNS, and subjects with any form of implant wire or metal device which may concentrate radiofrequency fields will be excluded from MRI scanning experiments because of possible risks during MRI scanning. Those whose history is suggestive of such a problem will also be excluded from the MRI portion of the experiments. They may still participate in the behavioral and MEG experiments.
- Subjects unable to lie flat on their back for up to 2 hours may not be eligible to participate in MRI scans.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00001360
Contact: NIMH LBC Volunteer | (301) 827-5157 | nimhlbcvolunteer@mail.nih.gov | |
Contact: Alex Martin, Ph.D. | (301) 435-1926 | alexmartin@mail.nih.gov |
United States, Maryland | |
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center | Recruiting |
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892 |
Principal Investigator: | Alex Martin, Ph.D. | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) |
Publications:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00001360 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
930170 93-M-0170 |
First Posted: | November 4, 1999 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 17, 2023 |
Last Verified: | January 31, 2023 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Undecided |
Plan Description: | .The protocol team has not had the opportunity to discuss whether or not IPD data will be shared. |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | No |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
Cognition Vision Cortex |
Visual Processing Magnetic Resonance Imaging Natural History |