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Brain waves under pressure: can light uncover the signature of mental work?

NCT ID NCT07759648

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Peking Union Medical College Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study uses a non-invasive light-based technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to watch blood flow changes in the prefrontal cortex—the brain area behind the forehead—while healthy young adults perform memory tasks of increasing difficulty. The goal is to see whether low-frequency oscillations in brain blood flow change with cognitive load and whether these changes relate to how quickly and accurately people respond. The findings could help validate a simple, portable way to measure brain activity during mental work.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
N-back visual working memory task
What this could lead to
If successful, this could establish low-frequency brain oscillations as a reliable, non-invasive marker of cognitive load, potentially aiding future brain-monitoring tools.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study in healthy young adults, so findings may not generalize to other ages or populations. The task is brief, and the measured signals may not fully capture complex brain activity.

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.

Participants

47 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2025

Finished

Oct 2025

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.

Who is studied

47 right-handed volunteers (23 males and 24 females) were recruited. Their ages ranged from 18 to 23 years, with an average age of 22.1 years for males and 21.5 years for females. The participants were young adults, as the study aimed to investigate the effects of LFO on cognitive activation, which involved a relatively challenging 3-back working memory task. All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal vision. Female participants were excluded if they were within their menstrual cycle, as hormonal fluctuations during this period may affect certain prefrontal cortical functions. None of the participants had a history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, nor were they taking any psychotropic medications. Participants abstained from alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine for at least 24 hours prior to the experiment.

Ages

18 to 23 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: * Aged 18 to 23 years * Right-hand * Normal or corrected-to-normal vision * Willing to abstain from alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine for at least 24 hours prior to the experiment * Able to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * History of neurological or psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy, severe insomnia, or anxiety) * History of arrhythmia or other severe cardiovascular conditions * Current or long-term use of psychotropic medications or other medications affecting the nervous system * Contraindications for wearing skin-mounted optical devices * Female participants currently in their menstrual cycle (due to potential hormonal effects on prefrontal cortical functions) * Inability to follow experimental instructions or complete the testing tasks

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cognition Healthy volunteers Working memory task

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • 16 channel fNIRS

    Tianjin, Tianjin Municipality, 300192, China

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