In this research study, we are using examining how brain activity (electrical and blood flow) changes during tests of emotional processing and attention and memory in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. We are also using non-invasive brain stimulation to probe different parts of the brain and measuring brain activity (electrical and blood flow). This study includes healthy participants and researchers hope this will help us develop improved brain-based treatments for emotional difficulties like depression.
Alcohol misuse is a risk factor for early onset cognitive impairment, contributing to 10% of early onset dementia, with risk corresponding to consumption. Additionally, continued drinking risks worsening cognitive decline and dementia progression, while worsening cognitive impairment contributes to drinking escalation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to improve cognition in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dimentias (ADRD) and separately reduce heavy drinking in alcohol use disorder. Our objective is to optimize rTMS for simultaneous mitigation of both drinking and cognitive dysfunction in older adults.
This is a study to investigate if a device that temporarily changes brain activity (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTMS) might be used to change how healthy participants make decisions. This study involves 2 visits to MUSC that will each take between 2-3 hours. This study is not a treatment study, but it could help inform studies investigating treatment in the future. Participants in this study will be compensated for their time.
The purpose of this study is to identify domains in which stroke suvivors may have struggled since experiencing a stroke. These include things like emotional, family and work function. This study entails an interview and questionnaires that ask about functioning in these areas.
The longer-term goal of this work is to identify areas these areas so that we can develop a psychotherapy that could be helpful for individuals recovering from and living with the aftermath of stroke.
The purpose of this study is to develop transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), specifically TMS at a frequency known as theta burst stimulation (TBS), to see how it affects the brain and changes the brain's response to alcohol-related pictures. TMS and TBS are stimulation techniques that use magnetic pulses to temporarily excite specific brain areas in awake people (without the need for surgery, anesthetic, or other invasive procedures). TBS, which is a form of TMS, will be applied over the medial prefrontal cortex, (MPFC), which has been shown to be involved with drinking patterns and alcohol consumption. This study will test whether TBS can be used as an alternative tool to reduce the desire to use alcohol and reducing the brain's response to alcohol-related pictures.
The goal of this study is to determine the pattern of cognitive impairment in chronic stroke, both in terms of performance during cognitive testing as well as brain neurocircuit activation.
The goal of this work is to identify the most efficacious range of doses and targeting location for a short-term (i.e., 1 week) course of high-dose brain stimulation for major depression.
The goal of this work is to identify the most efficacious dose for a high-dose, short-term brain stimulation intervention for anxiety and depression in veterans.
This is an open-label study designed to investigate the feasibility and tolerability of a novel TMS treatment protocol to treat depression in women with post-partum depression. It is known that TMS can effectively treat depression. The FDA approved protocol lasts 6 weeks and is not feasible for many women with post-partum depression. We are investigating a 6 day treatment for depression which may be more acceptable for this population. We further hope to characterize the anti-depressant effect and durability of this protocol in order to design a larger trial.
The current investigation uses a brain-based technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which has helped to treat depression, to try to stimulate those brain regions understood to be essential to emotional experience and impaired in PTSD. In summary, the aim is to enhance emotion engagement and regulation and possibly uncover new brain-based interventions that could help ready the brain so an individual with PTSD could then fully engage and thus optimize emotion-focused psychotherapy.