Major Depression
Conditions
Brief summary
Insufficient cognitive control over emotional distracters is characteristic for major depressive disorder (MDD). Hypoactivation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) is associated with this deficit. In this study the investigators assess the effect of an enhancement of dlPFC activity in MDD patients by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive control. In a double-blinded, balanced randomized, sham-controlled crossover trial the investigators determine the effect of a single-session tDCS to the left dlPFC on cognitive control in MDD patients and healthy controls. To assess the cognitive control the investigators use a delayed response working memory (DWM) task with pictures of varying valence presented during the delay period.
Interventions
DEVICETranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS); DC-STIMULATOR (NeuroConn GmbH, Ilmenau, Germany)
Sponsors
University Hospital Tuebingen
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* age \> 18 * informed consent * in the patients group: Major depressive disorder, no antidepressant medication or stability over 1 week
Exclusion criteria
* seizures * cardiac pacemaker * deep brain stimulation
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Correctness of response | The primary outcome measure is obtained during the intervention (20min tDCS or sham stimulation). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Reaction time | The secondary outcome measure is obtained during the intervention (20min tDCS or sham stimulation). |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed