Manipulating Social Percepts During fMRI

NCT07528378 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY00032009R01MH129648
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 10
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study will investigate the use of real-time fMRI to change how participants perceive social information.

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Keywords

individual differences; social perception; fMRI

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Likelihood of certain social percepts (behavioral)

  Likelihood of participants to report perceiving certain types of interactions in social animations. Percepts are characterized according to if a social interaction was perceived, and if so, how it was perceived (on a valence axis from positive to neutral to negative).

  during fMRI session

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Control over brain activity (fMRI-based)

  during fMRI session

Interventions

Real-time fMRI: Brain-state- triggered trials OTHER

During each fMRI session, we will monitor subjects' brain activity in real time and use univariate and/or multivariate activity patterns to trigger trial presentation. For each individual, we will select three regions: one key region early in the cortical hierarchy (e.g., MT), one key region late in the cortical hierarchy (e.g., anterior temporal), and one control region that does not show strong tuning to social information (e.g., primary auditory). These regions will be functionally defined for each individual using data from their characterization sessions. Subjects will report percepts behaviorally after each trial. For each region for each individual, we will then test the correlation between pre-stimulus activity and the likelihood of reporting certain percepts across trials.

Real-time fMRI: Covert neurofeedback OTHER

Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses real-time displays of brain activity in an attempt to teach subjects to self-regulate their brain function. Here we will use implicit neurofeedback, meaning that subjects will see a feedback signal, but will not be told what that feedback signal represents (i.e., which brain region) or what the expected effects of learning to control that brain region might be. This type of neurofeedback is less prone to suggestibility and other confounding effects. Each of the two scan sessions dedicated to this intervention will be split into four equal blocks in a 2x2 design with region (early or late) and direction of modulation (up or down). Subjects will see a continuous feedback signal representing the region and direction, and will be asked to try to modulate the signal using any strategy that occurs to them.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy individuals between 18 and 35 years of age

You may qualify if:

• willingness and availability to come for a total of 6 MRI scan sessions
• good fMRI data quality in previous, non-clinical trial study, including low head motion, high vigilance during the task as measured via simultaneous eye tracking, consistent behavioral responses

You may not qualify if:

• metallic objects in body contraindicated for the MRI scanner
• history of severe psychiatric or neurological disease
• currently on medication for a psychiatric condition
• illicit drug use
• claustrophobia
• heavy nicotine or alcohol use
• prior head injury
• pregnancy

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Trustees of Dartmouth College: lead
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): collaborator

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 2, 2026
• First Posted: April 14, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 14, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04