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Personalized Theta-burst Stimulation for Long-lasting Changes in Approach/Avoidance Behavior

The Efficiency of Personalized Theta-burst Stimulation for Inducing Long-lasting Changes in DLPFC

Who can join

Ages 18 to 65 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Participants must be legal adults between the ages of 18 to 65;
2. Able and willing to complete study procedures and tasks.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History or evidence of chronic neurological or mental disorder;
2. Chronic condition that requires pharmacological treatment over the course of study participation;
3. Pregnancy or breastfeeding;
4. History or evidence of alcohol or drug addiction;
5. Contraindications for transcranial magnetic stimulation (history of seizures, metallic or electric implant in the head/neck area);
6. Contraindications for magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla (non-compatible implants, metallic foreign bodies, insulin pump, pacemaker).

About the study

This study will assess the long-lasting effects of personalized theta burst stimulation (TBS), a repetitive form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), over the left prefrontal cortex on the approach/avoidance behavior. TBS will be personalized based on the prefrontal theta rhythm captured with electroencephalography (EEG). The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. does a single session of personalized TBS synchronized with the individual theta rhythm over the left prefrontal cortex results in the outlasting changes in the individual behavior? 2. Does TBS results in the brain rhythms' changes as measured using resting-state EEG?

What is being tested

• TBS-EEG (device)
• TBS-EEG / Spatial Control (device)
• TBS / Temporal Control (device)
• TBS-EEG / Dose Control (device)

Sponsor: Northwestern University · Participants: 26 · Started: Jul 31, 2025

Contact the study team

• Ivan Alekseichuk, PhD · Phone: 312-503-3196

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT07161505

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 29, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.