Scientists scan brains to unlock the mystery of frustration
NCT ID NCT06484088
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 10 times
Summary
This study aims to understand how the brain responds to frustration in healthy adults aged 18 to 55. Participants will undergo brain scans (MRI and MEG) while performing a task that may cause frustration. The goal is to identify brain activity patterns linked to frustration, which could eventually help develop better treatments for irritability.
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 study could reveal brain patterns linked to frustration, pointing toward new targets for treating irritability.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase observational study in healthy adults, not a treatment trial. Results may not apply to people with clinical irritability.
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
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 90 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
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 55 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: This study will include adult healthy volunteers. * Age: 18-55 * Consent: can give consent * Speak and read English --The instruments have not been validated in other languages. * At the NIH site, previously screened through other NIH protocols such as protocol 01-M-0254, 17-M-0181, and 93-M-0170 and determined eligible as healthy volunteers. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: -Any serious medical condition * History, physical exam, or laboratory testing including drug abuse screen. -Prescription and over-the-counter medications and dietary supplements with psychoactive properties (e.g., St. John's Wort, Melatonin, Valerian) -Any condition that interferes with MRI or MEG\*\* * History -Any current psychiatric diagnosis * SCID-V, clinical assessment, or history. -Pregnancy * Pregnancy testing will be done before all MRIs. -People who work on night shifts * History -Drug use * Subjects with drug use or positive drug screen more than two years ago are eligible for participation. -Need to wear eye glasses to work with computers\* * History -Need to wear contact lenses to work with computers\*\*,\*\*\* * History -Dental retainer\*\* * Subjects wearing removable dental retainers are eligible for participation * Eye glasses create artifacts in MEG and their rigid shape does not fit well in the MEG scanner. The MEG core has plastic optometry lenses that can be placed in paper frames. However, the paper frames need to be secured with tape which makes wearing them very uncomfortable, potentially promoting negative emotion and reducing the reliability of facial expression analysis. * Only applies to the NIH site. * Contact lenses create artifacts that interfere with eye-tracking.
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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
2 sites. 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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National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
RECRUITINGBethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States
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Texas A&M University
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGCollege Station, Texas, 77843, United States
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