Cognitive Augmentation Via Multimodal Sensing and Auricular Neurostimulation

Launched by OPENBCI · Jan 16, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how a special type of brain stimulation can help improve thinking skills, especially when people are faced with stress or distractions. Researchers are using a head-mounted device to measure how well participants can focus and cope with challenges in a virtual reality environment. The main goal is to find out if the stimulation can enhance cognitive performance by adjusting automatically based on how stressed or distracted someone feels during the tasks.

To participate, you need to be a healthy adult between 18 and 55 years old, speak English well, and have good vision. You will take part in four virtual reality tasks designed to test your attention and response to cybersickness, which is discomfort caused by using VR. The study will compare those receiving active stimulation to those receiving a placebo (sham) stimulation to see if it makes a difference in how well you can think. It's important to note that certain medical conditions, such as a history of mental health issues or neurological disorders, may exclude you from participating. If you join, you'll be contributing to research that could help improve cognitive performance in everyday situations!

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Healthy human subjects between the ages of 18 and 55
• • Normal color vision and near visual acuity of 20/30 without correction.
• • Participant is right-hand dominant
• • Proficient in the English language
• • Ability to understand the explanations and instructions given by the study personnel
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Participant presents current evidence of an uncontrolled and/or clinically significant medical condition or psychiatric condition
• • Participant is participating in another interventional trial within 90 days prior to or throughout duration of trial
• • Participant has a prior diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, acute stress disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder
• • Participant has a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or is currently taking medications for the treatment of ADHD.
• • Current or recent history of substance abuse or drug dependence including nicotine and alcohol, or use of mind-altering drugs in the past 30 days.
• • Participant has abnormal ear anatomy, ear infection present, or ear piercing that could interfere with stimulation
• • Participant has a recent history of epileptic seizures; including photosensitive epilepsy
• • Participant has a recent history of neurologic diseases or traumatic brain injury
• • Participant has presence of implanted medical devices (e.g., pacemakers, cochlear prostheses, neurostimulators)
• • Females who are pregnant or lactating
• • Participant has any other significant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the Investigator, may either put the participants are risk because of participation in the trial, or may influence the result of the trial, or the participant's ability to participate in the trial
• • Sensitivity to bright screens or virtual reality displays
• • Recent history of neurological and psychiatric disease/disorder