Division of Neuropsychiatry and Neuromodulation
The Division of Neuropsychiatry and Neuromodulation uses multimodal combinations of neuroimaging, neurophysiology, and neuromodulation to investigate human neural circuitry and plasticity. We are interested in understanding basic circuit properties and how maladaptive changes lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Critical efforts are geared towards developing high-impact clinical tools, identifying targets for therapeutic action, identifying biomarkers of treatment response, and designing individualized image-guided neuromodulation treatments.
The Division of Neuropsychiatry and Neuromodulation has several ongoing research studies that are currently enrolling subjects. Click on the title of the project to read more about what the study entails and how you can participate.
We are investigating how structural and functional connectivity in the brain can help predict who will respond to ECT and who will develop side effects in patients with Major Depressive Disorder or Bipolar Disorder. The goal of this project is to develop biomarkers that can guide psychiatric treatment planning. Please note that we do not provide ECT treatments as part of the study. You must be planning on receiving ECT as part of your clinical care and be medically cleared for ECT to participate.
This study consists of 4 visits. The first 2 visits must occur prior to starting ECT. The third visit must occur after the third ECT treatment. The fourth visit must occur after the acute phase of treatment, typically 4-5 weeks after starting treatment. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, behavioral computer tasks, neuropsychological testing, clinical evaluations, and questionnaires. Subjects will be compensated up to $500 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating the safety and efficacy of a novel form of TMS – intermittent theta burst stimulation – in reducing the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in patients with Major Depressive Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder. The goal of this project is to develop an accelerated treatment protocol to reduce the risk of suicide.
This study consists of 3 visits and a 1-month follow up period. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, wearing of a physiological sensor, and several consecutive TMS sessions. Subjects will be compensated $600 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating the effects of TMS on the ability to regulate emotional experiences in patients with Bipolar Disorder. The goal of this project is to develop novel treatments for improving emotion regulation in Bipolar Disorder using TMS.
This study consists of 4 visits that must be separated by a minimum of 3 days. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, behavioral computer tasks, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and brief sessions of TMS. Subjects will be compensated up to $250 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Kristen Ellard, PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact er-studies@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating how TMS changes functional connectivity in relation to symptoms of depression in a casual way. The goal of this project is to advance our ability to target a treatment site for TMS and improve treatment outcomes.
This study consists of 2 study visits before TMS treatment and 2 study visits after TMS treatment. These study visits may consists of MRI scans, questionnaires, and behavioral computer tasks. Throughout the treatment course, there can be anywhere from 1 to 3 study visits (i.e., 2 study visits are optional). These study visits may consist of a site marking exercise to mark the treatment location. Subjects will be compensated $180 to $220 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Tracy Barbour, MD.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating whether response to TMS can predict improvements in memory and attention impairments in patients with psychotic disorders such as Schizophrenia. The goal of this project is to develop novel treatments for patients with psychotic disorders using TMS.
This study consists of 1 visit. The study visit consists of an MRI scan, clinical evaluations, and questionnaires. Subjects will be compensated $100 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Hamdi Eryilmaz, PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact labnnc@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating whether tACS can improve cognitive symptoms in patients with ADHD.
This study consists of 4 visits. The study visits may consist of clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and tACS sessions. Subjects will be compensated $300 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating whether tDCS can improve cognitive symptoms in patients with ADHD.
This study consists of 4 visits and supervised stimulation sessions completed within your own home. The study visits may consist of EEG testing, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and tDCS sessions. Subjects will be compensated $400 for study completion.
The Principal Investigators of this study are Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH and Hamdi Eryilmaz, PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating whether tDCS can improve cognitive symptoms in patients with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, also known as “Long COVID”.
This study consists of 4 visits and supervised stimulation sessions completed within your own home. The study visits may consist of EEG testing, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and tDCS sessions. Subjects will be compensated $400 for study completion.
The Principal Investigators of this study are Hamdi Eryilmaz, PhD and Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating fear extinction and the impact of altering the fear network in the brain using tDCS. The goal of this project is to identify the effects of tDCS on fear in adults with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
This study consists of 3 visits. The study visits may consist of EEG testing, a clinical evaluation, questionnaires, and a tDCS session. Subjects will be compensated $300 for study completion.
The Principal Investigators of this study are Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH and Sabine Wilhelm, PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact mghocdfearstudy@partners.org to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating whether tDCS can improve cognitive symptoms in children with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The goal of this project is to develop novel treatments for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in children using tDCS.
This study consists of 3 visits. The study visits may consist of EEG testing, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and tDCS sessions. Subjects will be compensated $120 for study completion.
The Principal Investigators of this study are Joan Camprodon, MD PhD MPH and Daniel Geller, MD PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact mghdnn@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating the effects of 3 different doses of tPBM on cerebral blood flow in the prefrontal cortex. The goal of this project is to develop novel treatments for improving symptoms of depression using tPBM.
This study consists of 4 study visits. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, and tPBM sessions. Subjects will be compensated $400 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Paolo Cassano, MD PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact pbm@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating the effects of tPBM on cognitive deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease. The goal of this project is to develop novel treatments for improving symptoms of mild cognitive impairment using tPBM.
This study consists of 28 study visits. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, PET scans, clinical evaluations, questionnaires, blood draws, and tPBM sessions. Subjects will be compensated $1,525 for study completion.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Paolo Cassano, MD PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact pbm@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating the effects of tPBM on gamma neural oscillations and language, attention, and memory in patients with Down Syndrome. The goal of this project is to develop novel treatments for improving cognitive impairment using tPBM. Please note that this study requires the participation of the patient’s caregiver.
This study consists of 3 study visits and 18 treatment sessions. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, clinical evaluations, neuropsychological testing, and tPBM sessions. Subjects will be compensated $1,245.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Paolo Cassano, MD PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact pbm@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!
We are investigating the effects of tPBM on executive function and cerebral blood flow in patients with bipolar disorder. The goal of this project is to develop new effective treatments to improve symptoms of bipolar disorder.
This study consists of 8 study visits. The study visits may consist of MRI scans, clinical evaluations, cognitive tasks, questionnaires, and tPBM sessions. Subjects will be compensated $500.
The Principal Investigator of this study is Paolo Cassano, MD PhD.
Interested in participating? Contact pbm@mgh.harvard.edu to see if you are eligible!