NCT03365102

Modulating Impulsivity in Suicidal Adolescents With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Modulating Impulsivity in Suicidal Adolescents With tDCS: A Proof of Concept Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 64 (actual)
• Sponsor: Lifespan · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 13 Years – 17 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

As a first step toward investigating whether modulation of impulsivity and associated neural pathways may yield clinically meaningful changes in risk for adolescent suicidal behavior, the R21 is a proof-of concept study evaluating the potential for tDCS targeting brain regions associated with behavioral impulsivity (right inferior frontal gyrus \[rIFG\]) and cognitive impulsivity (left orbitofrontal cortex \[lOFC\]) to modulate these facets of impulsivity in a sample of adolescent suicide attempters. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive anodal tDCS over the rIFG, anodal tDCS over the lOFC, or a sham stimulation condition, in a three-group design. Task-based measures of behavioral and cognitive impulsivity will be administered before and after tDCS or sham stimulation. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) data will be collected during the impulsivity tasks, and resting-state EEG data will be collected pre- and post-tDCS administration to confirm engagement of the targeted brain regions and to delineating the neural pathways underlying the effects of tDCS on impulsivity.

Detailed description

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescence. To improve the ability to predict and prevent suicidal behavior, there is a pressing need for research in this area to advance beyond identifying risk factors toward a greater focus on the mechanisms of risk for this behavior. In particular, elucidating the neural pathways underlying risk for suicidal behavior is important insofar as such work may yield specific and modifiable targets for clinical intervention. The adoption of new experimental paradigms providing experimental control over potentially modifiable risk factors has been recommended as a means of meaningfully advancing the field in this regard. Although yet to be applied to the study of suicidality, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in conjunction with measures of electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs), may hold promise as an experimental paradigm in the study of potentially modifiable risk factors, and underlying neural mechanisms, for suicidality. One such risk factor of particular relevance to suicide in adolescence is state-sensitive aspects of impulsivity. Impulsivity has been consistently linked with suicidality, with this association appearing to be stronger in adolescence than adulthood. As a first step toward investigating whether modulation of impulsivity and associated neural pathways may yield clinically meaningful changes in risk for adolescent suicidal behavior, the R21 is a proof-of concept study evaluating the potential for tDCS targeting brain regions associated with behavioral impulsivity (right inferior frontal gyrus \[rIFG\]) and cognitive impulsivity (left orbitofrontal cortex \[lOFC\]) to modulate these facets of impulsivity in a sample of adolescent suicide attempters. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive anodal tDCS over the rIFG, anodal tDCS over the lOFC, or a sham stimulation condition, in a three-group design. Task-based measures of behavioral and cognitive impulsivity will be administered before and after tDCS or sham stimulation. Additionally, EEG and ERP data will be collected during the impulsivity tasks, and resting-state EEG data will be collected pre- and post-tDCS administration to confirm engagement of the targeted brain regions and to delineating the neural pathways underlying the effects of tDCS on impulsivity.

Conditions

• Impulsive Behavior

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	anodal tDCS over the rIFG,	tDCS at a constant current of 1.5 milliampere (mA) will be applied for one 20-minute session over the right inferior frontal gyrus . Resting-state EEG for 10 minutes will be recorded immediately prior to and after tDCS. After post-tDCS resting state EEG is acquired, EEG is recorded to extract Evoked Response Potentials in a single-blind procedure. The participants and assessors will be blind to experimental condition.
DEVICE	anodal tDCS over the lOFC,	tDCS at a constant current of 1.5 mA will be applied for one 20-minute session over the left orbitofrontal cortex . Resting-state EEG for 10 minutes will be recorded immediately prior to and after tDCS. After post-tDCS resting state EEG is acquired, EEG is recorded to extract Evoked Response Potentials in a single-blind procedure. The participants and assessors will be blind to experimental condition.
DEVICE	sham tDCS stimulation condition	In the sham condition, the current will be ramped up to 1.5 mA for 30 seconds and then ramped back down to 0. As this commonly used sham procedure produces a brief tingling sensation, participants are kept unaware of their experimental condition. Resting-state EEG for 10 minutes will be recorded immediately prior to and after the sham tDCS. After post-sham stimulation resting state EEG is acquired, EEG is recorded to extract Evoked Response Potentials in a single-blind procedure. The participants and assessors will be blind to experimental condition.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-04-01
• Primary completion: 2019-12-31
• Completion: 2019-12-31
• First posted: 2017-12-07
• Last updated: 2022-02-02
• Results posted: 2022-02-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study