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Reactivating Specific Memories During Sleep in Conjunction with a Suppression Context
NCT04702750 · View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
Study Summary
Forgetting is often perceived as the inability to retain information, but in fact at least some memory deterioration is due to active suppression processes, that are behaviorally adaptive. These active processes are thought to involve new, inhibitory learning, suggesting that sleep may serve to enhance them as it does other forms of learning. If this were the case, sleep may be harnessed to weaken non-adaptive memories in a manner that may be beneficial for healthy and clinical populations suffering from memory-related symptoms of disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To test this idea, this suggested nap study will incorporate specific memories in a suppression context during sleep monitored by encephalography (EEG). First, participants will take part in an item-based directed forgetting task, in which they will be exposed to different words, immediately followed by instructions to either remember the preceding word or not. The instructions will be conveyed using two distinct odors. In fact, the purpose of this first part would be to cement the associations of these odors with the instructions. Next, in an unrelated task, participants will learn the spatial locations of images on a screen. These images will be presented along with congruent sounds (e.g., cat - meow). During a subsequent nap, some of these sounds will be unobtrusively presented along with one of the two previously learned odors or along with a novel odor. In a final spatial-location test, memory for the images whose sounds were presented along with the "forget" odor during sleep is expected to be worse than for the images that were not cued. Memory for the locations of the images whose sounds were presented with one of the two other odors during sleep are expected to improve, possibly more so for the sounds presented with the "remember" odor relative to those presented with the novel odor. If successful, these results would be a first step towards interventions that may serve to s
Conditions Studied
Interventions
- BEHAVIORAL Targeted memory reactivation (sounds)
- BEHAVIORAL Targeted memory reactivation (odors)
Study Locations (1)
Illinois
- Cognitive Neuroscience Lab - Northwestern University — Evanston
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 23 participants |
| Start Date | 2022-02-10 |
| Est. Completion | 2024-05-30 |
| Phase | NA |
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Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗What the Registry Record Tells You About NCT04702750
The ClinicalTrials.gov registry entry for NCT04702750 describes a study currently listed as completed. It is categorized as NA, which is the standard way researchers label where a study sits along the investigational pathway from early safety work through later efficacy and post-marketing evaluation. The registered enrollment target is 23 participants, a figure that helps gauge the scale of data the investigators plan to collect. The listed sponsor is Northwestern University, which has 1,033 total studies on file at ClinicalTrials.gov, and sponsors are the parties responsible for study design, oversight, and regulatory filings.
The record links to 2 conditions, with Sleep appearing as the primary indexed condition, and to 2 interventions — of which Targeted memory reactivation (sounds) is the first listed. Interventions can include drugs, devices, procedures, behavioral programs, or observational arms, and each is tracked as a separate registry field so that downstream queries can filter accurately. When a trial lists multiple interventions, it usually reflects a multi-arm design or a comparison protocol rather than a single treatment being tested in isolation. The brief summary published in the registry is the clearest source of protocol intent and should be read before drawing conclusions from any sidebar tags.
Geographic footprint matters for practical reasons: NCT04702750 reports 1 study location spanning 1 distinct geographic area — top geographies include Illinois. A larger site network tends to correlate with broader recruitment capacity, but it does not imply anything about study quality, and site-level enrollment status can diverge from the overall registry status shown above. Every data point on this page comes from the public ClinicalTrials.gov dataset and is reproduced here for reference only; it is not a medical recommendation, an endorsement of the sponsor, or an invitation to enroll. Verify current status, eligibility criteria, and contact details directly at ClinicalTrials.gov, and discuss any participation decision with your own healthcare provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT04702750 about?
NCT04702750 is a clinical study titled "Reactivating Specific Memories During Sleep in Conjunction with a Suppression Context". Forgetting is often perceived as the inability to retain information, but in fact at least some memory deterioration is due to active suppression processes, that are behaviorally adaptive. These active processes are thought to involve new, inhibitory learning, suggesting that sleep may serve to enha...
What is the current status of trial NCT04702750?
This trial is currently completed. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 23 participants. The study started on 2022-02-10. Estimated completion is 2024-05-30.
What conditions does trial NCT04702750 study?
This clinical trial studies the following conditions: Sleep, Consolidation. These conditions were identified from the trial registry and reflect the primary focus areas of the research.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT04702750?
The interventions under investigation include: Targeted memory reactivation (sounds) (BEHAVIORAL), Targeted memory reactivation (odors) (BEHAVIORAL). Each intervention is being evaluated for safety and efficacy as part of this clinical study.
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT04702750?
This trial is sponsored by Northwestern University, which has 1,033 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. The sponsor is responsible for the study's design, funding, and regulatory compliance.
Where is trial NCT04702750 being conducted?
This trial has 1 study location across Illinois. Contact the study sites directly through ClinicalTrials.gov for enrollment availability.
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