Investigating Mediodorsal Thalamus Representations Underlying Human Cognitive Flexibility

Part of paid clinical trials in Iowa City, Iowa.

Sponsor
Kai Hwang
Study ID
NCT07217652
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

  • Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity (ADHD)
  • Schizophrenia

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 35 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • High-resolution fMRI during working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making tasks — OTHER
    Participants will perform a set of computerized cognitive tasks designed to test working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making while undergoing high-resolution 7-Tesla functional MRI. These tasks require participants to maintain and update contextual information, switch between rules, and make value-based choices under changing conditions. The intervention is distinguished by its integration of advanced neuroimaging with computational modeling to identify how the mediodorsal thalamus and prefrontal cortex represent, update, and generalize context. This approach allows precise mapping of thalamocortical mechanisms that support flexible cognition and goal-directed behavior.

Study Details

The goal of this basic experimental research study is to examine how the human thalamus supports flexible thinking and behavior. Specifically, the research aims to elucidate how the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus encodes and updates "context"-the mental framework that determines which rules or actions are relevant in a given situation. This work may contribute to understanding why certain psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and ADHD, involve difficulties with cognitive flexibility and control. The primary research questions are: Does the MD thalamus represent the context that organizes how working memory guides task selection? Does the MD thalamus signal when context needs to be updated after a change in task demands? Do these thalamic representations support generalization to new situations or rules? Participants will complete cognitive tasks while undergoing high-resolution brain imaging using 7-Tesla MRI. The investigators will combine behavioral data, computational modeling, and advanced neuroimaging analyses to examine how the thalamus interacts with the cortex during flexible decision-making.

Key Dates

Start date
Dec 1, 2025
Status verified
Feb 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2030
Completion
Jul 30, 2030

Study Design

Enrollment
100 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Within subject manipulation of working memory, cognitive control, and decision making
    Participants will complete a series of cognitive tasks designed to engage working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making. During these tasks, participants will view stimuli and make rule-based or value-based choices that require updating and applying context to guide behavior. Brain activity will be measured using high-resolution 7-Tesla functional MRI to assess how the mediodorsal thalamus and prefrontal cortex represent and update contextual information. Computational models will link behavior and neural activity to test how thalamic signals support flexible cognition and adaptive decision-making.

Primary Outcome Measure

Decoding of context representations in the medial dorsal thalamus from 7 T MRI data [ Time Frame: Measured throughout the MRI session (approximately 90 minutes per participant). ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
The University of IowaIowa CityIowa52242
Kai Hwang, PhD
[email protected]
319-335-2406

Find similar trials in Iowa City, IA

By condition
Schizophrenia
By specialty
PsychiatryMental healthBehavioral health
By research site
The University of Iowa· Iowa City, IA

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