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Mind over matter: brain training may unlock Self-Motivation

NCT ID NCT05929898

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Duke University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 10, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026

Summary

This study investigates whether healthy adults can learn to self-regulate motivation by watching their own brain activity in real time using fMRI. Participants will receive neurofeedback from a key motivation region (the VTA) while practicing motivational imagery. The goal is to understand how the brain controls motivation and memory, which could inform future therapies for conditions like depression or ADHD.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
fMRI neurofeedback training
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward new ways to help people improve motivation and self-control without medication.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage observational study with no treatment being tested. The findings may not translate into practical applications or work for everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 190 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2023

Expected to finish

Sep 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 45 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 and 45 years * Right-handed * In good general health Exclusion Criteria: * Current or diagnosis within past six months of an DSM-V Axis I or Axis II disorder (self-reported) * CES-D score of 20 or higher (indicating significant current depression symptoms) * Current or past six month use of prescription medications indicated for psychiatric conditions (e.g.,depression, anxiety) * Current serious medical illness (self-reported) * Head injury resulting in loss of consciousness * For participants age \> 59 years, a total scaled score \< 8 on the Dementia Rating Scale-2. * A clinically-defined neurological disorder including, but not limited to: * Any condition likely to be associated with increased intracranial pressure * Space occupying brain lesion * History of stroke * Transient ischemic attack within two years * Cerebral aneurysm * Dementia * Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE) score of \<24 * Parkinson's disease * Huntington's disease * Multiple sclerosis * Presence of cochlear implants or other implanted electronic devices or non-removable metal (e.g., non-removable piercing, IUD) * History of an eye injury involving metal. Participants who worked with metal may be allowed to participate on a case-by-case basis with prior written approval from BIAC. * Claustrophobia or unwillingness to tolerate the confinement associated with being in the MRI scanner. * Weight of more than 250 pounds

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Self-Control

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

MEMORY Motivation Self regulation

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Center for Cognitive Neuroscience

    RECRUITING

    Durham, North Carolina, 27708, United States

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