Social StressSSBINCT05591404
Investigating the Effects of Social Stress on Brain Imaging
A study testing Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in people with Social Stress, run by Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to examine whether experiencing a social stressor prior to the collection of neuroimaging measures is associated with differences in brain activation in healthy participants. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 55 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Social Stress
- What is being tested?
- Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 17 Nov 2025to Jan 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 55 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent.
- Sufficiently fluent in English to participate in the trial.
- Between 18-55 years of age (inclusive).
- Right-hand dominant.
- Current medications are stable for past 30 days (no changes to dose or frequency).
- Negative result on pregnancy test (if female).
- Negative result on urine drug screening.
- Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS <30).
Who cannot join
- History of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, delusional disorders.
- History of eating disorder within past 6 months.
- History of any traumatic brain injury.
- Currently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
- Presence of severe medical illness that would prevent completion of study procedures.
- Presence of significant neurological illness or cognitive dysfunction (e.g.; seizures, dementia).
Show all 13Show fewer
- History of substance use disorder within past 6 months (other than nicotine and caffeine).
- Use of any cannabis-containing products in past 30 days (CBD or THC).
- Use of benzodiazepines in past 2 weeks.
- Use of alpha- or beta-blockers in the past week.
- History of claustrophobia.
- Contraindications for MRI (e.g.; shrapnel).
- Presence of any other medical condition that, in the investigator's opinion, may interfere with the study procedures.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
About this study
The purpose of this study is to examine whether experiencing a social stressor prior to the collection of neuroimaging measures is associated with differences in brain activation in healthy participants.
Read the detailed description
Using a randomized, parallel-group study design, this scientific investigation will examine the effect that experiencing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), the gold-standard for ethically inducing stress in a controlled laboratory setting, may have on neuroimaging measures of anxiety in healthy subjects. The study will enroll 50 healthy subjects who will be randomized to either experience the TSST or watch a nature film prior to undergoing task-based neuroimaging measures of emotional processing and self-referential processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
This study will be conducted primarily at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with research and clinical support from Massachusetts General Hospital.
- Conditions
- Social Stress
- Being tested
- Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)
- Keywords
- Social Stress, fMRI
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)Behavioural
Participants randomized to the TSST arm will experience the Trier Social Stress Test.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Film + TSST | Experimental | Nature Film + Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) Receives: Behavioral: Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) |
| Film Only (No-TSST) | No intervention | Nature Film Only |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Differences in fMRI BOLD Response
Patterns of brain activation measured as blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signals will be assessed using 3.0 Tesla (3T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Several exploratory imaging paradigms, including the emotional face-matching task (EFMT) and the self-referential comment task (SRCT), will be used to examine differences between participants who experience the TSST and those who do not.
Measured: 45 minutes after TSST
Secondary outcomes (2)
Change in Acute Subjective Anxiety
Subjective anxiety will be assessed with a modified Visual Analog Mood Scale (VAMS) which utilizes a vertical 100 millimeter (mm) bipolar visual scale between two opposing moods consisting of the following word pairs: calm-excited, relaxed-tense, and tranquil-troubled. Total subjective anxiety for each timepoint will be the average distance from the top for the three-question battery. VAMS will be assessed 180 minutes before start of TSST, 15 minutes before start of TSST, 5 minutes before start of TSST during the Anticipation phase, after the Stress Procedures (+10 minutes after start of TSST), after 5 minutes in the Recovery Phase (+20 minutes after start of TSST), and 15 minutes after start of the Recovery Phase (+30 minutes after start of TSST).
Measured: -180 minutes, -15 minutes, -5 minutes, +10 minutes, +20 minutes, +30 minutes
Differences in Salivary Alpha Amylase
Physiological stress will be assessed indirectly with salivary alpha amylase (sAA) activity which is regulated by the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Samples will be collected using the SalivaBio Oral Swab (SOS) from Salimetrics. Participants will place the SOS in their mouth for 1-2 minutes at each timepoint to collect saliva. sAA will be assessed 180 minutes before start of TSST, 15 minutes before start of TSST, 5 minutes before start of TSST during the anticipation phase, after the Stress Procedures (+10 minutes after start of TSST), after 5 minutes in the Recovery Phase (+20 minutes after start of TSST), and 15 minutes after start of the Recovery Phase (+30 minutes after start of TSST).
Measured: -180 minutes, -15 minutes, -5 minutes, +10 minutes, +20 minutes, +30 minutes
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Oct 2022
- Study start17 Nov 2025
- Primary completionSep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionJan 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Social StressStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- John Gabrieli, PhD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05591404
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2206000689
- Acronym
- SSBI
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 19 Oct 2022
- Last updated
- 11 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All data, code, and materials used in the analyses will be made available upon request by John Gabrieli and Massachusetts Institute of Technology after scientific review and a completed data use agreement/material transfer agreement beginning one year after publication of the results. Any requests should be submitted to John Gabrieli at gabrieli@mit.edu.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating the Effects of Social Stress on Brain Imaging
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05591404
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SSBI / 2206000689
- Conditions
- Social Stress
- Keywords
- Social Stress, fMRI
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study start
- 17 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jan 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Oct 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to examine whether experiencing a social stressor prior to the collection of neuroimaging measures is associated with differences in brain activation in healthy participants.
Detailed description
Using a randomized, parallel-group study design, this scientific investigation will examine the effect that experiencing the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), the gold-standard for ethically inducing stress in a controlled laboratory setting, may have on neuroimaging measures of anxiety in healthy subjects. The study will enroll 50 healthy subjects who will be randomized to either experience the TSST or watch a nature film prior to undergoing task-based neuroimaging measures of emotional processing and self-referential processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
This study will be conducted primarily at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with research and clinical support from Massachusetts General Hospital.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Film + TSST | Experimental | Behavioral: Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)Nature Film + Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) |
| Film Only (No-TSST) | No intervention | –Nature Film Only |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 55 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Ability and willingness to provide written informed consent.
- Sufficiently fluent in English to participate in the trial.
- Between 18-55 years of age (inclusive).
- Right-hand dominant.
- Current medications are stable for past 30 days (no changes to dose or frequency).
Key exclusion criteria (13 listed)
- History of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, delusional disorders.
- History of eating disorder within past 6 months.
- History of any traumatic brain injury.
- Currently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
- Presence of severe medical illness that would prevent completion of study procedures.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Trier Social Stress Test (TSST)Participants randomized to the TSST arm will experience the Trier Social Stress Test. | Behavioural | Film + TSST |
Primary outcome
Differences in fMRI BOLD Response
Time frame: 45 minutes after TSST
Patterns of brain activation measured as blood-oxygenation-level dependent (BOLD) signals will be assessed using 3.0 Tesla (3T) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Several exploratory imaging paradigms, including the emotional face-matching task (EFMT) and the self-referential comment task (SRCT), will be used to examine differences between participants who experience the TSST and those who do not.
2 secondary outcomes
Change in Acute Subjective Anxiety
Time frame: -180 minutes, -15 minutes, -5 minutes, +10 minutes, +20 minutes, +30 minutes
Differences in Salivary Alpha Amylase
Time frame: -180 minutes, -15 minutes, -5 minutes, +10 minutes, +20 minutes, +30 minutes
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Aug 2026.
- SSBI Recruitment SiteLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All data, code, and materials used in the analyses will be made available upon request by John Gabrieli and Massachusetts Institute of Technology after scientific review and a completed data use agreement/material transfer agreement beginning one year after publication of the results. Any requests should be submitted to John Gabrieli at gabrieli@mit.edu.
Related trials for Social Stress
Recruiting
Bonding Before Birth: A mHealth Intervention for First-time Expectant Couples
Anxiety, Pregnancy
Active, not recruiting
Economic Empowerment and Health Promotion of Uganda Grandmother-caregivers.
Financial Burden, Health Behavior
Not yet recruiting
A Mobile Informatics Solution to Assist Caregivers in Care Coordination and Monitoring Social Engagement
Memory Disorders, Mild Cognitive Impairment
Active, not recruiting
Self-Help Plus (SH+) for Stress Reduction in Social Service Workers: A Pilot RCT
Stress, Psychological, Occupational, Stress, Psychological
Recruiting
Trauma-Informed Yoga Intervention in Young Women
Trauma, Young Adult Females
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
John Gabrieli, PhD principal investigator
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in people with Social Stress, run by Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 13 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Differences in fMRI BOLD Response (time frame: 45 minutes after TSST). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Aug 2026.