NCT04108663

Supporting Cognitive Control Training With tDCS

Lasting Amelioration of Deficient Cognitive Control by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)-Enhanced Training

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 173 (actual)
• Sponsor: University Hospital Tuebingen · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Cognitive control (CC) is an important prerequisite for goal-directed behaviour and often associated with dysfunctional prefrontal activity within the cortex. This can be ameliorated by non-invasive brain stimulation. In this randomised single-blind study we compare effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on CC in healthy subjects. The study includes 162 subjects who undergo a two-week (six sessions) training of cognitive control (adaptive paced auditory serial addition task, PASAT) supported by tDCS. Subjects are randomised to receive either concurrent anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS with an intensity of 1 mA or 2 mA of their left (F3) or right (F4) PFC, resulting in eight stimulation groups. Stimulation effects on performance changes are compared to a sham control group.Changes in Affective state are measured by the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS), possible transfer effects are assessed by the Eriksen Flanker task. Stability of effects is measured up to three months after the last intervention.

Conditions

• Cognitive Control

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Effect of tDCS on cognitive control task performance	Added verum or sham tDCS while working on a cognitive control task.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-04-15
• Primary completion: 2018-03-26
• Completion: 2018-03-26
• First posted: 2019-09-30
• Last updated: 2019-09-30

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Germany