Taking people in United StatesNo phase

Studies how the brain's thalamus supports flexible thinking and decisions

Uses brain scans during thinking tasks to study flexible thinking in adults.

Key facts

Who runs it: Kai Hwang
Where: Iowa City, United StatesSee the site
Trial code: NCT07217652
Registry title: Investigating Mediodorsal Thalamus Representations Underlying Human Cognitive Flexibility
Status: Recruiting
People taking part: 100 people, planned
Started: 1 Dec 2025
Expected to end: 30 Jul 2030
Type of study: Interventional
Treatments tested: High-resolution fMRI during working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making tasks
Record updated: 13 February 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for healthy adults aged 18 to 35 who can have a 7-Tesla brain MRI scan while doing thinking tasks.

Age: 18 Years to 35 Years
Sex: All sexes can join.
Earlier treatment: People who use benzodiazepines, long-acting opioids or other drugs that could change thinking performance cannot join.
Biomarker or test result: Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and normal color perception (Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test).

Main reasons for not taking part

History of a neurological, psychiatric or medical condition that could affect cognition
Use of benzodiazepines, long-acting opioids or other psychotropic drugs
Metal implants or other MRI-related risks, such as shrapnel or non-removable piercings
History of claustrophobia or breathing problems
Currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant

This trial only enrols healthy participants. The registry sentence this rests on: No history of any neurological, psychiatric, or medical condition that could affect cognition

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 18 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

No history of any neurological, psychiatric, or medical condition that could affect cognition
No use of benzodiazepines, long-acting opioids, or other psychotropic drugs that could alter cognitive performance
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision (visual acuity)
Normal color perception (Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test)
Fluent in English
No metal implants (including aneurysm clip, cardiac pacemaker, ICD, IUD, neurostimulation system, spinal cord stimulator, internal electrodes or wires, bone stimulator, ear implant, insulin or other infusion pump or device, prosthesis, artificial or prosthetic limb, shunt, vascular access port or catheter, thermodilution catheter, medication patch, radiation seeds or implants, wire mesh implant, tissue expander, surgical staples or clips or sutures, joint replacement, joint/bone pin/screw/nail/wire/plate, dentures, or non-removable hearing aid)
No exposure to shrapnel or other-related MR contraindications
No non-removable body piercing jewelry
No non-removable makeup
No history of claustrophobia
No history of breathing problems
Not currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant (this will be determined via self report and no records will be kept)

Who cannot take part

Use of benzodiazepines, long-acting opioids, or other psychotropic drugs that could alter cognitive performance
Has a history of any neurological, psychiatric, or medical condition that could affect cognition
Known metal implants (including aneurysm clip, cardiac pacemaker, ICD, IUD, neurostimulation system, spinal cord stimulator, internal electrodes or wires, bone stimulator, ear implant, insulin or other infusion pump or device, prosthesis, artificial or prosthetic limb, shunt, vascular access port or catheter, thermodilution catheter, medication patch, radiation seeds or implants, wire mesh implant, tissue expander, surgical staples or clips or sutures, joint replacement, joint/bone pin/screw/nail/wire/plate, dentures, or non-removable hearing aid)
History of claustrophobia
Not fluent in English
Currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant (this will be determined via self report and no records will be kept)

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

Are you between 18 and 35 years old?

Where in United States

The University of IowaIowa City, United StatesContact: Kai Hwang, PhDTaking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

The goal of this basic experimental research study is to examine how the human thalamus supports flexible thinking and behavior. Specifically, the research aims to elucidate how the mediodorsal (MD) thalamus encodes and updates "context"-the mental framework that determines which rules or actions are relevant in a given situation. This work may contribute to understanding why certain psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and ADHD, involve difficulties with cognitive flexibility and control.

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The primary research questions are:

Does the MD thalamus represent the context that organizes how working memory guides task selection? Does the MD thalamus signal when context needs to be updated after a change in task demands? Do these thalamic representations support generalization to new situations or rules?

Participants will complete cognitive tasks while undergoing high-resolution brain imaging using 7-Tesla MRI. The investigators will combine behavioral data, computational modeling, and advanced neuroimaging analyses to examine how the thalamus interacts with the cortex during flexible decision-making.

The group in the trial

Within subject manipulation of working memory, cognitive control, and decision makingTreatment being tested
Participants will complete a series of cognitive tasks designed to engage working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making. During these tasks, participants will view stimuli and make rule-based or value-based choices that require updating and applying context to guide behavior. Brain activity will be measured using high-resolution 7-Tesla functional MRI to assess how the mediodorsal thalamus and prefrontal cortex represent and update contextual information. Computational models will link behavior and neural activity to test how thalamic signals support flexible cognition and adaptive decision-making.
Treatment: High-resolution fMRI during working memory, cognitive control, and decision-making tasks