Scientists scan brains to see how motivation boosts memory
NCT ID NCT06257433
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study uses brain scans to understand how motivation influences memory. 80 healthy adults will play a treasure chest game inside an MRI machine, where they learn which keys open chests and recall what's inside. The goal is to see how brain regions involved in motivation and memory work together during active learning.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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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
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About 80 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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: * 20/40 far acuity (either corrected or uncorrected) * In good medical health Exclusion Criteria: * History of head injury * History of illness with Central Nervous Systems implications * On Medications that Affect blood flow response and alertness * Consumption of smoking and/or coffee 30 minutes prior to laboratory testing * Placement of a device contraindicated for magnetic resonance imaging including cardia pacemaker, aneurysm clip, cochlear implants, pregnancy, intra-uterine device, shrapnel, metal fragments in the eyes, neurostimulators * Weight \> 250lbs * Claustrophobia
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Temple University
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19122, United States
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