Healthy Clinical Trials in Charleston, SC

Sometimes, it is necessary to re-learn a previously learned movement behavior, for example, a bad posture during the golf drive or while playing the piano. Unlearning or relearning an intensively trained behavior is particularly important if the behavior is hampering recovery, for example, in chronic pain or after a stroke. With this pilot study, the brain mechanisms that control the change of pre-existing stable memories of a motor skill will be tested with electroencephalography (EEG). Non-invasive brain stimulation will be used to modulate these brain mechanisms and test if it is possible to change the pre-existing motor memory and the learning of a new motor skill. Read Less

In this research study, the investigators are examining how brain activity (electrical and blood flow) changes during tests of emotional processing, attention and memory in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and outside the MRI using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Investigators are also using non-invasive brain stimulation to probe different parts of the brain and measuring brain activity (electrical and blood flow). Study 1 This study includes healthy participants and researchers hope this will help us develop improved brain-based treatments for emotional difficulties like depression. Study 2 This study includes participants with depression and researchers hope this will help us develop improved brain-based treatments for emotional difficulties like depression. Read Less

The purposes of this research study is to: 1. Develop a technique of transcranial Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (tFUS) where meaningful effects on the brain can be easily measured. 2. Use this technique to measure threshold for effective tFUS in individuals. 3. Determine whether disruption of conscious visual detection, versus non-conscious visually-guided behavior have different thresholds for disruption with tFUS. Read Less