Healthy Young and Older Adults
Conditions
Keywords
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), young, older adults
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to assess whether the application of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) enhances and prolongs the learning enhancement achieved by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS). For this, young and older healthy subjects will be tested with a well established learning paradigm. Results of this study may help to support the application of atDCS also in patients, e.g. with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
Interventions
PROCEDUREtDCS
DRUGCitalopram
OTHERsham-tDCS + placebo
Sponsors
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* right handedness * unobtrusive neuropsychological screening * ability to provide written informed consent * no pathological findings in head MRI * age: 18 to 35 years (young adults) or 50-80 years (older adults) * Highly effective contraception (Pearl Index \< 1) or reliable abstinence from any heterosexual relationships in women of childbearing potential
Exclusion criteria
* severe internal or psychiatric disease (especially depression or suicidal thoughts) * epilepsy * cognitive impairment (\< SD under age adjusted norm in neuropsychological testing) * concurrent taking of serotonin precursors (tryptophan, 5-HTP) or MAO inhibitors * concurrent taking of tramadol or triptans * concurrent taking of pimozide or linezolid * concurrent taking of other drugs prolonging the QT-interval * long-QT-syndrome * hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia * known intolerance of the study medication * claustrophobia or metallic implants, tattoos (MRI
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Recall score after learning under tDC stimulation + SSRI compared to learning under tDC stimulation + placebo. | immediately after end of learning phase (approx. 1 hour) | Recall score immediately after learning phase (=training of visual-spatial abilities) under tDC stimulation + SSRI application compared to learning under tDC stimulation + placebo. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| prolongation of the atDCS induced learning enhancement by SSRI | 1 week | Measurement of recall scores on the evening of the same day after the learning phase (+tDCS + SSRI), the morning of the day after and 1 week later in order to assess the prolongation of atDCS induced learning enhancement by the SSRI. |
| Increase of learning enhancement by atDCS + placebo or sham-tDCS + SSRI vs. sham-tDCS + placebo | immediately after learning phase (approx. 1 hour) | Measurement of recall scores directly after learning phase after application of atDCS + placebo or sham-tDCS + SSRI vs. sham-tDCS + placebo. |
| prolongation of learning enhancement by atDCS + placebo or sham-tDCS + SSRI vs. sham-tDCS + placebo | 1 week | Measurement of recall scores on the evening of the same day of learning phase, the morning of the day after and 1 week later under application of atDCS + placebo or sham-tDCS + SSRI vs. sham-tDCS + placebo, in order to assess prolongation of learning enhancement by SSRI. |
| genotyping of learning related polymorphisms | once | To assess predictors of SSRI-enhanced brain stimulation, genotyping of several learning related polymorphisms will be performed (i.e., APOE, BDNF, Val66Met, COMT, Val158Met, KIBRA, rs17070145, 5-Hydroxytryptamine transporter). |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed