Current Research Projects
Project BRAIN (Bayesian Research on Affective and Inhibitory Neuromodulation)
Neurobiological models of addiction attribute vulnerability to drug-seeking to abnormally high reward responses to drug-related cues, as well as hypo-activation of executive control networks in the brain. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) uses electromagnetic induction to noninvasively modulate neural activity within the brain circuits supporting reward responses and executive control.
The goal of this study is to determine whether individual differences in brain responses to emotional stimuli moderate the effects of rTMS in people who smoke. Participants receive rTMS before completing the cued nicotine availability task. An electroencephalogram (EEG) taken before and after rTMS will allow us to extract neuromarkers of vulnerability to nicotine self-administration and determine rTMS effects.
Project RAPID (rTMS: Accelerated, Personalized Treatment for Impulse Control Disorders)
Obesity is a major preventable risk of cancer in the United States. Neurobehavioral models of obesity attribute the tendency to overconsume high calorie food to dysregulation of reward responses and executive control in the brain. Activity in these brain circuits could be modulated through the use of non-invasive neurostimulation techniques like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for depression and tobacco use disorder.
The goal of this study is to determine the feasibility of using rTMS to combat excessive eating. Participants will undergo multiple sessions of rTMS and complete a cued food availability task. An electroencephalogram (EEG) taken during the task will allow us to evaluate the effects that different rTMS protocols have on reward responses.
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