ReadingTAFENCT06608680
Timing and Facilitation Effects of Theta-Burst Stimulation in the Reading and Language Networks
A study testing iTBS and cTBS in people with Reading and Language, run by Georgia State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to understand how transcranial magnetic stimulation affects how quickly, easily, and accurately a person read. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a technique that uses magnetic fields to briefly affect how well certain brain regions function. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Reading, Language, Control Subjects
- What is being tested?
- iTBS and cTBS
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 5 Apr 2023to 31 Dec 2028
- 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 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Subjects must have a minimum of low average intellectual functioning (\>=80) on at least one subscale on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-2 (WASI-2; Wechsler, 2011) to be included.
- Within a normal range of reading skills as \>85 on the Test of Word Reading Efficiency - Second Edition (TOWRE-2; Torgesen et al., 2012) and the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV; Schrank et al., 2014)
- Individuals with a documented history of learning disability will not be included. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
- Subjects must be between the ages of 18 and 30 to be included. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
- Because reading is critically linked to language, only individuals who are native speakers of English will be included in the study. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
- The reading network is typically localized to the left side of the brain. However, left-handed individuals may have different brain lateralization, introducing an important confound to the study. Therefore, only right-handed individuals will be included in the study. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
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- Individuals who have hearing deficits (\>25dB at 500+ Hz), visual deficits (\>20/40), serious emotional problems, certain neurological conditions (e.g., uncontrolled seizure disorders) will not be included. This will be determined via CABI Screening Forms and Demographics Questionnaire.
- Individuals with certain metals in their bodies or with certain health conditions will not be included. If an individual has braces on their teeth, a cardiac pacemaker; hearing aid; other metal in their body or eyes (which may include certain metallic-embedded tattoos), including but not limited to pins, screws, shrapnel, plates, dentures or other metal objects they will not be included. This will be determined via CABI Screening forms.
- Individuals with MRI Screening and Contraindication Forms which do not pass MRI Tech review will not be included.
- Individuals with TMS Screening Forms which do not pass TMS Tech review will not be included.
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia, 30303
Rachael Harrington, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, 404-413-6219, rharrington2@gsu.edu
C. Nikki Arrington, Ph.D., 404-385-8621, carrington3@gsu.edu
About this study
Official title: Timing and Facilitation Effects of Theta-Burst Stimulation in the Reading and Language Systems
The purpose of this study is to understand how transcranial magnetic stimulation affects how quickly, easily, and accurately a person read. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a technique that uses magnetic fields to briefly affect how well certain brain regions function. The investigators would like to better understand how long the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation occur in the reading system and at what point the effect is strongest in this system. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- At what point after stimulation are the greatest effects on behavior seen
- How excitatory and inhibitory stimulation affect behavior
Read more
Researchers will compare stimulation types against a sham condition to see effects on reading and language behavior.
Participants will be asked to
- undergo reading, language, and cognitive testing
- receive an MRI
- receive TMS stimulation
- perform language, reading, and motor tasks
- Conditions
- Reading, Language, Control Subjects
- Being tested
- iTBS, cTBS, Sham Stimulation
- Keywords
- transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS, MRI, Reading, Language
- Medical subject headings
- Language
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
iTBSBehavioural
Excitatory stimulation of supramarginal gyrus
cTBSBehavioural
Inhibitory stimulation to supramarginal gyrus
Sham StimulationBehavioural
Sham stimulation of supramarginal gyrus
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| iTBS/Sham | Experimental | Adults age 18-30 with typical reading and language abilities Receives: Behavioral: iTBS; Behavioral: Sham Stimulation |
| cTBS/Sham | Experimental | Adults age 18-30 with typical reading and language abilities Receives: Behavioral: cTBS; Behavioral: Sham Stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Phonological Decoding Reaction Time
Measured: Four time points after each stimulation (20, 40, 60 and 80 minutes after stimulation)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Sep 2024
- Study start5 Apr 2023
- Primary completion31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ReadingStudies 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Georgia State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Rachael Marie Harrington, Georgia State University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06608680
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H23282
- Acronym
- TAFE
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 12 Sep 2024
- Last updated
- 9 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Deidentified data will be shared via the COINS platform
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Timing and Facilitation Effects of Theta-Burst Stimulation in the Reading and Language Systems
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06608680
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- TAFE / H23282
- Conditions
- Reading, Language, Control Subjects
- Keywords
- transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS, MRI, Reading, Language
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Georgia State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 5 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 23 Sep 2024 (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 understand how transcranial magnetic stimulation affects how quickly, easily, and accurately a person read. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a technique that uses magnetic fields to briefly affect how well certain brain regions function. The investigators would like to better understand how long the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation occur in the reading system and at what point the effect is strongest in this system. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- At what point after stimulation are the greatest effects on behavior seen
- How excitatory and inhibitory stimulation affect behavior
Researchers will compare stimulation types against a sham condition to see effects on reading and language behavior.
Participants will be asked to
- undergo reading, language, and cognitive testing
- receive an MRI
- receive TMS stimulation
- perform language, reading, and motor tasks
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| iTBS/Sham | Experimental | Behavioral: iTBS, Behavioral: Sham StimulationAdults age 18-30 with typical reading and language abilities |
| cTBS/Sham | Experimental | Behavioral: cTBS, Behavioral: Sham StimulationAdults age 18-30 with typical reading and language abilities |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Subjects must have a minimum of low average intellectual functioning (\>=80) on at least one subscale on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence-2 (WASI-2; Wechsler, 2011) to be included.
- Within a normal range of reading skills as \>85 on the Test of Word Reading Efficiency - Second Edition (TOWRE-2; Torgesen et al., 2012) and the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement (WJ-IV; Schrank et al., 2014)
- Individuals with a documented history of learning disability will not be included. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
- Subjects must be between the ages of 18 and 30 to be included. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
- Because reading is critically linked to language, only individuals who are native speakers of English will be included in the study. This will be determined via demographics questionnaire.
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| iTBSExcitatory stimulation of supramarginal gyrus | Behavioural | iTBS/Sham |
| cTBSInhibitory stimulation to supramarginal gyrus | Behavioural | cTBS/Sham |
| Sham StimulationSham stimulation of supramarginal gyrus | Behavioural | cTBS/Sham, iTBS/Sham |
Primary outcome
Phonological Decoding Reaction Time
Time frame: Four time points after each stimulation (20, 40, 60 and 80 minutes after stimulation)
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 9 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Deidentified data will be shared via the COINS platform
Related trials for Reading
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing iTBS and cTBS in people with Reading and Language, run by Georgia State University 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 10 inclusion and 0 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 Sep 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?
Contact Rachael Harrington, Ph.D. CCC-SLP (404-413-6219, rharrington2@gsu.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Phonological Decoding Reaction Time (time frame: Four time points after each stimulation (20, 40, 60 and 80 minutes after stimulation)). 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 9 Sep 2026.