Emotional MemorySAME-MNCT07191275
Study on the Effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on the Perception of Emotional Images
A study testing Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with Emotional Memory, run by Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The goal of the current clinical trial is to investigate whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over specific brain areas can influence the perception of emotional images and emotional memory. TMS is a non-invasive superficial brain stimulation generated by a magnetic field. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Emotional Memory
- What is being tested?
- Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 33 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 4 Nov 2025to 6 Mar 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 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Generally healthy
- Normotensive (BP 90/60mmHg - 140/90mmHg)
- BMI: 18 - 30 kg/m2
- Fluent in speaking German
Who cannot join
- Metal in the head area (e.g., splinters, fragments, clips, etc.)
- Implanted neurostimulator (e.g., DBS, epidural/subdural, VNS)
- Cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
- Medication infusion device
- Non removable metal piercings in the head area, pivot teeth (retainers are no exclusion criterion)
- Tattoos (head area) less than 3 months old or older than 20 years
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- Condition after neurosurgery
- Hearing problems or tinnitus
- Not able to sit still due to tremor, tics, itching
- History of repeated syncope
- Head trauma diagnosed as concussion or associated with loss of consciousness
- diagnosis of epilepsy, or a convulsion or a seizure in the past of the participant or his/her close family (parents and siblings)
- TMS in the past showing problems
- Spinal or ventricular derivations
- Positive pregnancy test
- Alcohol intake 12 hours before TMS visits
- Regular intake of any medication (excluding oral contraceptives)
- CNS-active medication or illegal drugs 48h before TMS visits
- Individual's rMT above the limits of rTMS device
- Suicidal tendency as measured by Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S), item 9 > 0
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Switzerland1 site
University of Basel, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, 4055
About this study
Official title: The Effect of TMS on Emotional Valence Evaluation of Aversive Pictures
The goal of the current clinical trial is to investigate whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over specific brain areas can influence the perception of emotional images and emotional memory. TMS is a non-invasive superficial brain stimulation generated by a magnetic field. The results of the study aim to provide valuable insights for the use of TMS in the investigation of mental processes.
- Conditions
- Emotional Memory
- Being tested
- Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation, Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation
- Keywords
- memory, emotional memory, transcranial magnetic stimulation, emotional valence, emotional arousal
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulationDevice
Also called cTBS 30Hz, TMS cTBS 30Hz
Bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the temporo-occipital cortex
- Frequency: trains of 30 Hz (3 pulses) every 167 ms (frequency of 6 Hz, in the range of theta band)
- Intensity: 85% of resting motor threshold (rMT)
- Location: consecutively on left and right temporo-occipital cortex (MNI: -64, -2, 22; 64, -2, 22)
- Duration: 33.3 seconds for each side
- Timing: Immediately before showing IAPS pictures (off-line)
Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulationDevice
Also called cTBS 30Hz, TMS cTBS 30 Hz
Bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the temporo-occipital cortex
- Frequency: trains of 30 Hz (3 pulses) every 167 ms (frequency of 6 Hz, in the range of theta band)
- Intensity: 85% of resting motor threshold (rMT)
- Location: consecutively on left and right temporo-occipital cortex (MNI: -64, -2, 22; 64, -2, 22)
- Duration: 33.3 seconds for each side
- Timing: Immediately before showing IAPS pictures (off-line)
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Participants starting with experimental condition | Experimental | Bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the temporo-occipital cortex Receives: Device: Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation; Device: Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation |
| Participants starting with control condition | Active comparator | Active control condition using bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the superior parietal cortex Receives: Device: Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation; Device: Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Emotional valence for aversive pictures
The mean valence rating of aversive pictures as assessed by a visual analogue scale assessed directly after TMS.
Measured: Immediately after the intervention, lasting for approximately 7 minutes
Secondary outcomes (2)
Emotional arousal
The mean arousal rating of aversive pictures as assessed by a visual analogue scale assessed directly after TMS.
Measured: Immediately after the intervention, lasting for approximately 7 minutes
Aversive episodic memory
Number of aversive pictures remembered in a free recall pictorial task using IAPS picture set
Measured: Approximately one hour after the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Sep 2025
- Study start4 Nov 2025
- Primary completion6 Mar 2026
- Study completion6 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Emotional MemoryStudies 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
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 33 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD, University of Basel
- Investigators
- Dominique de Quervain, MD, Principal investigator, University of Basel, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07191275
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2025-01622
- Other IDs
- 2025
- Acronym
- SAME-M
- Status last verified
- Nov 2026
- First submitted
- 17 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 5 Nov 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All IPD (de-identified) that underlie results in a publication will be shared upon reasonable request
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Nov 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of TMS on Emotional Valence Evaluation of Aversive Pictures
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07191275
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SAME-M / 2025-01622
- Conditions
- Emotional Memory
- Keywords
- memory, emotional memory, transcranial magnetic stimulation, emotional valence, emotional arousal
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 33 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MDUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 4 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 6 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 6 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Sep 2025 (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 goal of the current clinical trial is to investigate whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over specific brain areas can influence the perception of emotional images and emotional memory. TMS is a non-invasive superficial brain stimulation generated by a magnetic field. The results of the study aim to provide valuable insights for the use of TMS in the investigation of mental processes.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Participants starting with experimental condition | Experimental | Device: Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation, Device: Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulationBilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the temporo-occipital cortex |
| Participants starting with control condition | Active comparator | Device: Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation, Device: Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulationActive control condition using bilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the superior parietal cortex |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Generally healthy
- Normotensive (BP 90/60mmHg - 140/90mmHg)
- BMI: 18 - 30 kg/m2
- Fluent in speaking German
Key exclusion criteria (20 listed)
- Metal in the head area (e.g., splinters, fragments, clips, etc.)
- Implanted neurostimulator (e.g., DBS, epidural/subdural, VNS)
- Cardiac pacemaker or intracardiac lines
- Medication infusion device
- Non removable metal piercings in the head area, pivot teeth (retainers are no exclusion criterion)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulationAlso: cTBS 30Hz, TMS cTBS 30HzBilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the temporo-occipital cortex * Frequency: trains of 30 Hz (3 pulses) every 167 ms (frequency of 6 Hz, in the range of theta band) * Intensity: 85% of resting motor threshold (rMT) * Location: consecutively on left and right temporo-occipital cortex (MNI: -64, -2, 22; 64, -2, 22) * Duration: 33.3 seconds for each side * Timing: Immediately before showing IAPS pictures (off-line) | Device | Participants starting with control condition, Participants starting with experimental condition |
| Control continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulationAlso: cTBS 30Hz, TMS cTBS 30 HzBilateral continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) 30 Hz to the temporo-occipital cortex * Frequency: trains of 30 Hz (3 pulses) every 167 ms (frequency of 6 Hz, in the range of theta band) * Intensity: 85% of resting motor threshold (rMT) * Location: consecutively on left and right temporo-occipital cortex (MNI: -64, -2, 22; 64, -2, 22) * Duration: 33.3 seconds for each side * Timing: Immediately before showing IAPS pictures (off-line) | Device | Participants starting with control condition, Participants starting with experimental condition |
Primary outcome
Emotional valence for aversive pictures
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention, lasting for approximately 7 minutes
The mean valence rating of aversive pictures as assessed by a visual analogue scale assessed directly after TMS.
2 secondary outcomes
Emotional arousal
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention, lasting for approximately 7 minutes
Aversive episodic memory
Time frame: Approximately one hour after the intervention
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 Nov 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All IPD (de-identified) that underlie results in a publication will be shared upon reasonable request
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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.
Dominique de Quervain, MD principal investigator
University of Basel, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Experimental continuous 30 Hz thetaburst transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with Emotional Memory, run by Prof. Dominique de Quervain, MD at 1 site in Switzerland.
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 4 inclusion and 20 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 Nov 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 Switzerland. 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?
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?
Emotional valence for aversive pictures (time frame: Immediately after the intervention, lasting for approximately 7 minutes). 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 Nov 2026.