Scientists zap brains to unlock secrets of social connection
NCT ID NCT07457567
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study at Yale University investigates how two people's brains synchronize during live face-to-face interactions. Researchers will use brain stimulation (TMS and tDCS) along with EEG and eye tracking to measure changes in brain activity and social behaviors. The goal is to better understand the neural basis of social interaction, which could inform future treatments for conditions like autism.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how brain stimulation affects social brain synchronization, potentially guiding future therapies for social disorders.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy adults, so results may not apply to clinical populations. The outcomes are exploratory and may not lead to direct treatments.
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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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 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2028
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 years and older
- 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: -Self reported typically developed adults. Exclusion Criteria: -No prior history of seizure activity. Self reported absence of recreational drugs at time of study.
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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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Yale School of Medicine
RECRUITINGNew Haven, Connecticut, 06511, United States