None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation is a cheap, portable device that may have application as a clinical tool for cognitive remediation. In the current study we will assess the effectiveness of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) to affect social cognition in patients with first-episode psychosis. We hypothesize that the patient group will show impairments at integrating and distinguishing between self and other processes across perspective taking and episodic memory tasks. They will also be impaired on an affective theory of mind (ToM) task. We hypothesize that dmPFC anodal stimulation will increase the integration of other into self across perspective taking and episodic memory tasks and improve affective ToM performance. Anodal stimulation to the rTPJ will improve the ability to inhibit the self-perspective in a perspective taking task that relies on mental rotation.
Interventions
Transcranial direct current stimulation to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction. 1mA for 20 minutes using ring electrodes with a centre electrode (2.5cm in diameter) and return electrodes with inner and outer diameter of 9.2/11.5cm for the dmPFC and 7.5/9.8 for the rTPJ. The current ramps up over 8 seconds before remaining for 20 minutes at 1 mA and the ramping down over 5 seconds.
Stimulation will be administered by a research officer and or research assistant. T
Transcranial direct current stimulation to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction. 1mA for 20 minutes using ring electrodes with a centre electrode (2.5cm in diameter) and return electrodes with inner and outer diameter of 9.2/11.5cm for the dmPFC and 7.5/9.8 for the rTPJ. The current ramps up over 8 seconds before remaining for 20 minutes at 1 mA and the ramping down over 5 seconds. Stimulation will be administered by a research officer and or research assistant. Testing takes place over two days with active on one day and placebo on the other day (counterbalanced) and at least 3 days in between to ensure wash out. The social cognitive battery takes approximately 60 minutes to complete, although stimulation will only be "online for 20 minutes" from the start of the testing. For the remaining 40 minutes, participants will not be actively receiving stimulation although the neural excitatory effects of stimulation will still be present while they complete the remainder of the cognitive battery.
Sponsors
The University of Queensland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Crossover
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
First episode psychosis patients who are Caucasian with English as first language.
Exclusion criteria
Neurological disease/trauma (including seizures/migraine) Non-Caucasian Substantial current substance abuse Medical devices not compatible with transcranial direct current stimulation
Outcome results
None listed