NCT07406464

MRI-tDCS Criticism Study

The Impact of tDCS on Substrates of Emotion Processing Using fMRI in Healthy Volunteers

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 47 (actual)
• Sponsor: Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 35 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This experimental study investigated how MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) modulates neural and cognitive responses to social criticism in healthy volunteers. Participants underwent two MRI sessions - one with active and one with sham stimulation - in a randomized, double-blind, cross-over design. During stimulation, they completed resting-state and task-based fMRI scans including exposure to critical, neutral, and praising auditory comments, followed by behavioral and self-report measures of rumination, mood, and implicit self-esteem.

Detailed description

This study aimed to examine the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on emotional and self-referential processing. Healthy right-handed female participants completed two identical MRI sessions separated by at least 48 hours and a maximum of 2 weeks. The localization of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was determined during the first session. Anatomical data were first acquired using a high-resolution T1-weighted structural scan. Participants were then briefly removed from the MRI scanner to define the stimulation target using two complementary methods: (1) the standard scalp position F3 according to the 10-20 international EEG system, and (2) an individualized neuronavigation procedure targeting the mid-center of the left middle frontal gyrus (Brodmann areas 9/46) based on each participant's structural MRI. For the actual tDCS sessions, only the neuronavigation-derived DLPFC target was used for electrode placement. In each session, participants received either active or sham MRI-compatible tDCS (1.5 mA, 20 minutes) applied over the left DLPFC with the cathode placed over the contralateral supra-orbital region. The order of stimulation (active vs. sham) was randomized and counterbalanced. The location of the DLPFC electrode placement was based During fMRI, participants completed multiple scans: a T1 structural scan, resting-state sequences (pre-, during-, and post-stimulation), resting-state sequences (pre-, during-, and post-auditory criticism task with blocks of critical, neutral, and praising comments), and an arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion sequence. Self-report measures of state rumination (Momentary Ruminative Self-focus Inventory, MRSI) and mood (visual analogue scales) were collected before and after stimulation and after the criticism paradigm. An implicit self-esteem task (Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, IRAP) followed the MRI session. Trait questionnaires and a blood sample for DNA (e.g. 5-HTTLPR) analysis were collected at baseline only. The primary goal was to assess whether active tDCS modulates neural and behavioral markers of self-referential processing and emotional regulation compared with sham stimulation. No serious adverse events occurred during the study. Minor sensations (tingling, mild scalp discomfort) were transient and self-limited.

Conditions

• Healthy Participant Study

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	tDCS	Participants are randomized to receive either active or sham tDCS during MRI scanning. Neuroimaging and behavioral outcomes are used to assess the effects of stimulation on emotion-related brain networks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-07-09
• Primary completion: 2014-03-02
• Completion: 2014-03-02
• First posted: 2026-02-12
• Last updated: 2026-02-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Belgium