Visual Cortical PlasticityNCT05853939
Measuring rTMS-induced Neuroplasticity With EEG Steady-state Visual-evoked Potentials
A study testing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with Visual Cortical Plasticity and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, run by University of California, San Francisco at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goals of this study are to 1) use EEG steady-state visual evoked potentials as a noninvasive measure of the neuroplasticity induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), 2) use visual contrast detection paradigms as a behavioral measure of rTMS effects, and 3) to investigate how visual spatial… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Visual Cortical Plasticity, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Visual Attention
- What is being tested?
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 106 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2023to 2 Jun 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
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 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Men and women, ages 18 to 65
- Must comprehend English well to ensure adequate comprehension of the EEG and TMS instructions, and of clinical scales
- Left- or Right-handed
- No current or history of neurological disorders
- No seizure disorder or risk of seizures
Who cannot join
- Those with a contraindication for MRIs (e.g. implanted metal)
- Any unstable medical condition
- History of head trauma with loss of consciousness
- History of seizures
- Neurological or uncontrolled medical disease
- Active substance abuse
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- Diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorder
- Currently taking medications that substantially reduce seizure threshold (e.g., bupropion, olanzapine, chlorpromazine, lithium)
- Currently pregnant or breastfeeding
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Inducing and Measuring Visual-evoked Potential Plasticity in Humans With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
The goals of this study are to 1) use EEG steady-state visual evoked potentials as a noninvasive measure of the neuroplasticity induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), 2) use visual contrast detection paradigms as a behavioral measure of rTMS effects, and 3) to investigate how visual spatial attention augments or suppresses the neuroplastic impact of rTMS. Participants will observe visual stimuli on a screen while allocating their attention to different parts of the visual field and making responses when they observe changes in the visual stimuli. rTMS is performed to visual cortex using MRI-retinotopy neuronavigation. Then the visual task paradigm is performed again.
- Conditions
- Visual Cortical Plasticity, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Visual Attention
- Being tested
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Keywords
- visual-evoked potentials, TMS, neuroplasticity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationDevice
Repetitive TMS targeted by neuronavigation to left lower visual field of primary visual cortex. Randomized to 10 Hz or 1 Hz on different treatment days. Stimulation at 110% of phosphene threshold, or 110% resting motor threshold if phosphenes not detectable. 1 Hz: 1000 pulses total over 1000 seconds. 10 Hz: 1000 pulses over 10 10 second pulse trains, with 50 second intertrain intervals
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Cortex, 1 Hz rTMS, Attended | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, 1 Hz rTMS, Unattended | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, 10 Hz rTMS, Attended | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, 10 Hz rTMS, Unattended | Experimental | Not described Receives: Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, Sham, Attended | Sham comparator | Not described Receives: Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, Sham, Unattended | Sham comparator | Not described Receives: Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
post-rTMS change in ssVEP Response Amplitude
Change in ssVEP contrast-response amplitude after rTMS
Measured: 60 minutes
post-rTMS change in visual contrast perceptual sensitivity
change in visual psychometric threshold across contrasts after rTMS
Measured: 60 minutes
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 May 2023
- Study start1 Jul 2023
- Primary completion2 Jun 2026
- Study completion2 Jun 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Visual Cortical PlasticityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, San FranciscoThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- Cross-over: 1 Hz vs 10 Hz vs sham rTMS; stimulation to attended or unattended hemisphere
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 106 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San Francisco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Eye Institute (NEI)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Ryan Ash, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, University of California, San Francisco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05853939
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 25-44827
- Other IDs
- 5K08EY035037-03
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 2 May 2023
- Last updated
- 5 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The results of this research will be made available via publication in scientific journals and through scientific meetings where our findings are reported. Publication of data shall occur during the project, if appropriate, or at the end of the project, consistent with normal scientific practices. All publications will be made publicly available consistent with NIH policies. Research data, which documents, supports and validates research findings, will be made available after the main findings from the final research data set have been accepted for publication.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Inducing and Measuring Visual-evoked Potential Plasticity in Humans With Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05853939
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 25-44827
- Conditions
- Visual Cortical Plasticity, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Visual Attention
- Keywords
- visual-evoked potentials, TMS, neuroplasticity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 106 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, San FranciscoUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Eye Institute (NEI)
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 2 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 2 Jun 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 11 May 2023 (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 goals of this study are to 1) use EEG steady-state visual evoked potentials as a noninvasive measure of the neuroplasticity induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), 2) use visual contrast detection paradigms as a behavioral measure of rTMS effects, and 3) to investigate how visual spatial attention augments or suppresses the neuroplastic impact of rTMS. Participants will observe visual stimuli on a screen while allocating their attention to different parts of the visual field and making responses when they observe changes in the visual stimuli. rTMS is performed to visual cortex using MRI-retinotopy neuronavigation. Then the visual task paradigm is performed again.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 6
- Model description
- Cross-over: 1 Hz vs 10 Hz vs sham rTMS; stimulation to attended or unattended hemisphere
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Cortex, 1 Hz rTMS, Attended | Experimental | Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, 1 Hz rTMS, Unattended | Experimental | Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, 10 Hz rTMS, Attended | Experimental | Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, 10 Hz rTMS, Unattended | Experimental | Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, Sham, Attended | Sham comparator | Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Visual Cortex, Sham, Unattended | Sham comparator | Device: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Men and women, ages 18 to 65
- Must comprehend English well to ensure adequate comprehension of the EEG and TMS instructions, and of clinical scales
- Left- or Right-handed
- No current or history of neurological disorders
- No seizure disorder or risk of seizures
Key exclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Those with a contraindication for MRIs (e.g. implanted metal)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationRepetitive TMS targeted by neuronavigation to left lower visual field of primary visual cortex. Randomized to 10 Hz or 1 Hz on different treatment days. Stimulation at 110% of phosphene threshold, or 110% resting motor threshold if phosphenes not detectable. 1 Hz: 1000 pulses total over 1000 seconds. 10 Hz: 1000 pulses over 10 10 second pulse trains, with 50 second intertrain intervals | Device | Visual Cortex, 1 Hz rTMS, Attended, Visual Cortex, 1 Hz rTMS, Unattended, Visual Cortex, 10 Hz rTMS, Attended, Visual Cortex, 10 Hz rTMS, Unattended, Visual Cortex, Sham, Attended, Visual Cortex, Sham, Unattended |
Primary outcome
post-rTMS change in ssVEP Response Amplitude
Time frame: 60 minutes
Change in ssVEP contrast-response amplitude after rTMS
post-rTMS change in visual contrast perceptual sensitivity
Time frame: 60 minutes
change in visual psychometric threshold across contrasts after rTMS
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Jun 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The results of this research will be made available via publication in scientific journals and through scientific meetings where our findings are reported. Publication of data shall occur during the project, if appropriate, or at the end of the project, consistent with normal scientific practices. All publications will be made publicly available consistent with NIH policies. Research data, which documents, supports and validates research findings, will be made available after the main findings from the final research data set have been accepted for publication.
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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.
Ryan Ash, MD, PhD principal investigator
University of California, San Francisco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with Visual Cortical Plasticity and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, run by University of California, San Francisco 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 5 inclusion and 9 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Jun 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
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?
post-rTMS change in ssVEP Response Amplitude (time frame: 60 minutes). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 5 Jun 2026.