NCT07398833

Modulation of Working Memory by an Alternating Magnetic Field in Humans

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 102 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Clinique Beau Soleil · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Many studies have examined the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on working memory, showing that low-intensity stimulation can enhance cognitive performance by modulating neuronal activity, particularly in the frontal cortex and the parietal lobule. Specific frequencies, such as the gamma frequency, have demonstrated beneficial effects on memory under high cognitive load. However, tACS has technical limitations, including uncomfortable sensations and uneven diffusion of electrical currents within the brain, which restrict its effectiveness in deeper brain regions. Transcranial alternating magnetic stimulation (tAMS) is emerging as a potentially more precise and comfortable method. Unlike tACS, tAMS uses magnetic fields that penetrate more deeply into the brain and provide a more homogeneous distribution of induced electrical currents, allowing for more targeted stimulation. This study compares the effects of tACS and tAMS on working memory, with the hypothesis that tAMS will offer additional advantages in terms of comfort and efficacy. Cognitive performance will be assessed using working memory tasks, along with EEG signals to analyze neuronal modulations. The objective is to demonstrate that tAMS more effectively reaches deep brain regions and improves cognitive functions.

Conditions

• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Electrical stimulation	The experimental session lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and includes four phases: Time 0, dedicated to training and adjustment of task difficulty, followed by Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3, corresponding respectively to assessments of working memory performance before, during, and after exposure to stimulation. Each phase includes blocks of the Sternberg task, for a total of 180 trials per session. Each block lasts 10 minutes.
OTHER	Magnetic stimulation	The experimental session lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and includes four time points: Time 0, dedicated to training and adjustment of task difficulty, followed by Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3, corresponding respectively to assessments of working memory performance before, during, and after exposure to stimulation. Each time point includes blocks of the Sternberg task, for a total of 180 trials per session. Each block lasts 10 minutes.
OTHER	No stimulation	The experimental session lasts 2 hours and 30 minutes and includes four time points: Time 0, dedicated to training and adjustment of task difficulty, followed by Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3, corresponding respectively to assessments of working memory performance before, during, and after exposure to sham stimulation. Each time point includes blocks of the Sternberg task, for a total of 180 trials per session. Each block lasts 10 minutes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-04-01
• Primary completion: 2028-04-01
• Completion: 2028-09-01
• First posted: 2026-02-10
• Last updated: 2026-03-17