Brain scans reveal how social cues shape our fear and effort

NCT ID NCT06975800

First seen Jul 01, 2026 · Last updated Jul 01, 2026

Summary

This study investigates how social information—like knowing a task will be easy or hard—affects brain activity in people with epilepsy. Participants, who already have electrodes implanted in their brains for medical reasons, will rate their doctors and then complete tasks involving math and scary images while their brain signals are recorded. The goal is to understand how social feedback influences emotional and cognitive responses at the neural level.

What this could mean

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

What this could lead to

If successful, this could reveal how social information influences brain responses to fear and effort, potentially guiding future treatments for social anxiety or motivation disorders.

What could go wrong

This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 24 participants, so findings may not apply broadly. It does not test a treatment or intervention.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

epilepsy

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Contacts and locations

Study contacts

  • Contact

    Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••

Locations

  • Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03766, United States

    Contact Email: •••••@•••••