Brain injury study reveals how we imagine the past and future
NCT ID NCT06823193
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how focal brain injuries affect mental time travel — the ability to imagine past or future events. Researchers will ask participants to judge whether a person in a photo likely experienced a certain life event years ago or will experience it in the future. The goal is to understand the role of a brain region called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. 66 adults with focal brain lesions will take part.
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 improve our understanding of how the brain supports memory and future thinking, potentially guiding rehabilitation for people with brain injuries.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 66 participants. It is not testing a treatment, so direct benefits are unlikely. Results may not apply to all types of brain injury.
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 66 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2024
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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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40 to 80 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * the absence of general cognitive impairment, assessed by neuropsychological testing * the presence of a focal brain lesion will be adopted as an inclusion criterion for patients. Exclusion Criteria: * psychiatric disorders * multiple brain lesions
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri
RECRUITINGCastel Goffredo, Mantova, 46042, Italy
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