NCT03293316

Using Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Current Stimulation (tCS) to Study and Modulate Cognition Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 72 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Oxford · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Inter-individual variability in responsiveness to interventions poses great challenges for translational neuroscience, and health care in general. The investigations sought to examine the potential for high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to modulate sustained attention in a manner that was informed by individual differences in EEG indices.

Detailed description

Inter-individual variability in responsiveness to interventions poses great challenges for translational neuroscience, and health care in general. Reliable and cost- effective screening procedures that can identify individuals who are more likely to benefit from an intervention could have substantial real-world benefits. Here, the investigators sought to examine the potential for high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to modulate sustained attention in a manner that was informed by individual differences in a well-studied electrocortical marker, spontaneous theta/beta ratio. The investigators hypothesized that individuals with relatively high theta/beta ratios, putatively reflecting suboptimal cortical arousal, would be more likely to benefit from the gains in cortical excitability afforded by tRNS. Seventy-two young healthy adults were administered 1mA, 2mA and sham tRNS in a double-blind, randomised, cross-over manner, while they performed a continuous monitoring paradigm. Electroencephalography was acquired before and after each stimulation condition. This approach may constitute a feasible means of using individual differences in neurophysiology to inform predictions about outcomes from targeted cognitive interventions.

Conditions

• Inter-individual Variability

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation	The transcranial random noise stimulation was delivered using a StarStim device (Neuroelectrics®, Barcelona, Spain). The electrodes were encased in a pair of saline-soaked sponges (25 cm2 ), and were secured within a Neurolectrics EEG cap over right DLPFC (F4) and right IPL (P4), according to the 10-20 international EEG system. Other details are stated under the 'intervention arm' descriptions.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-11-01
• Primary completion: 2016-10-01
• Completion: 2016-10-01
• First posted: 2017-09-26
• Last updated: 2017-10-03