Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) study
The overall motivation for this study is to improve treatment for people suffering from depression. The purpose of this study is to test if novel brain stimulation changes emotion recognition. The study involves Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), in which we place a stimulation coil over the head, which generates a magnetic field that passes painlessly through the skull to stimulate the brain. The effect lasts for a few minutes. Participants do not normally notice any effect of stimulation, though some may experience short-lasting discomfort during TMS, which can usually be alleviated by adjusting the coil position. By conducting this research, we hope to better understand the effect of brain stimulation on emotional processing, which will inform efforts to improve the treatment of depression.
For safety reasons we can only include volunteers without a family history of epilepsy, who are not currently taking any medication, and who are not pregnant. You will be asked questions about your medical history to check your suitability for an MRI scan. An online session will be conducted via MS Teams in order to further determine your eligibility for the study.
This study involves four visits to the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford or FMRIB at the WIN centre, John Radcliffe Hospital. Each session will take no more than 3 hours, with 2/4 sessions expected to take under an hour.
Ethics reference: R87506/RE002
We are looking for
Researchers at the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford are seeking right-handed volunteers aged 18-45 years with symptoms of low mood for a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) study.
Expenses
We will compensate you for your time and reasonable travel costs for every session (including the online screening session via MS Teams).