Study Brain Mechanisms of Frustration With Magnetoencephalography in Healthy Volunteers

Conditions

• Irritability

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 55 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• Frustration task — OTHER
  The experimental manipulation for this study is the frustration task. The frustration task is designed to elicit the emotional state of frustrative non-reward (FNR). During the task, participants are asked to use button press (left or right) to alternately press one of the two doors displayed on the monitor. The task has two non-frustration blocks (Block 1 and 2) and one frustration block (Block 3). During the non-frustration blocks, participants earn money for correct press on a fixed schedule. During the frustrative block, participants will not always receive reward for correct press.

Study Details

Background: Irritability can be defined as an unusually strong response to frustration; these responses may include severe temper outbursts and a constant grumpy mood. Irritability is a common symptom of many mental health disorders. Little is known about how the brain responds to frustration, and few treatments are available for this problem. Researchers want to know more about how the brain responds to frustration. Objective: To learn how the brain responds to frustration. Eligibility: Healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years. They must have been screened through studies 01-M-0254 or 17-M-0181. Design: Participants will have up to 3 study visits in 2 months. Each visit will last up to 4 hours. Visit 1: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam. They will complete questionnaires about how often and how easily they get angry or grumpy. They will be trained to use a device that measures hand grip. Visit 2: Participants will have a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. They will lie on a table that slides into a tube. Padding will hold their head still. Visit 3: Participants will undergo magnetoencephalography (MEG). A cone with detectors will be lowered over their head while they are seated. The MEG will measure the magnetic fields in the participant s brain both while they are resting and while they are doing the frustration task. For the task, they will hold a grip device in each hand. They will use the devices to pick 1 of 2 doors on a computer screen. The task has 3 parts. The participant s face will be filmed during this task.

Key Dates

Start date

Feb 21, 2025

Status verified

Apr 2026

Primary completion

Aug 31, 2027

Completion

Aug 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment

90 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

• Experimental: Frustration task
  The experimental manipulation for this study is the frustration task. The frustration task is designed to elicit the emotional state of frustrative non-reward (FNR). During the task, participants are asked to use button press (left or right) to alternately press one of the two doors displayed on the monitor. The task has two non-frustration blocks (Block 1 and 2) and one frustration block (Block 3). During the non-frustration blocks, participants earn money for correct press on a fixed schedule. During the frustrative block, participants will not always receive reward for correct press.

Primary Outcome Measure

(1) The power of neural oscillations in the cortical-basal ganglia-thalamic circuit; (2) Coherence of neural oscillations in this circuit; (3) Frustration rating by self-report, facial expression, and the duration and strength of gripping. [ Time Frame: The measurements will be taken during the MEG/frustration task session. ]

Central Contacts

• Zheng Li, Ph.D.
  (301) 594-2269
  [email protected]

Locations (2)

Find similar trials in Bethesda, MD

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