Healthy Adults
Conditions
Keywords
transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), memory
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether we can improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects, by applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during a verbal paired-associate learning task
Detailed description
Associative memory refers to remembering the association between two items, such as a face and a name or a word in English and the same word in another language. It is not only important for learning, but it is also one of the first aspects of memory performance that is impacted by aging and by Alzheimer's disease. For decades, neuroscientists have investigated associative learning and memory and ways to accelerate and enhance associative learning and memory. Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless electrical stimulation technique that has demonstrated to accelerate learning and improve memory in some studies. To investigate whether it is possible to improve associative memory using tDCS, the performance in a Verbal Paired-Associate memory task of 4 groups targeting different areas will be compared.
Interventions
DEVICEtDCS
tDCS
Sponsors
The University of Texas at Dallas
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Intervention model description
Participants will be randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) tDCS targeting location 1 paired with memory task (2) tDCS targeting location 2 with memory task (3) tDCS targeting location 3 paired with memory task (4) tDCS targeting location 4 paired with memory task
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age: 18-35 years * Native English Speaker
Exclusion criteria
* History of severe head injuries, epileptic insults, or heart disease. * Severe psychiatric disorders and severe untreated medical problems. * acquainted with the foreign language used in the learning task * Contraindications for tDCS (pregnant women, implanted devices)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test | Baseline and 1 week after the tDCS | Participants got the opportunity to learn the list of 75-word pairs across a total of eight alternating study (S) and test (T) periods. Participants came back for a final test session (all 75 words tested) 7 days later and were asked to give the English translations of Swahili words. A score was calaculated based on the percentage of words (English trnaslations) correctly recalled words. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| C2 Right memory task paired with tDCS targeting the right Cranial 2 Nerve (C2) using anodal stimulation
tDCS: tDCS | 10 |
| C2 Left memory task paired with tDCS targeting the left Cranial 2 (C2) nerve using anodal stimulation
tDCS: tDCS | 10 |
| Trigeminal Nerve memory task paired with tDCS targeting the Trigeminal Nerve
tDCS: tDCS | 10 |
| Cranial 5/6 Nerves memory task paired with tDCS targeting the fifth cranial nerve (C5)
tDCS: tDCS | 10 |
| Total | 40 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | C2 Left | Trigeminal Nerve | Cranial 5/6 Nerves | Total | C2 Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 20.6 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.17 | 22.8 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.6 | 22.7 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.54 | 21.75 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.6 | 20.9 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.64 |
| Beck Anxiety Inventory Scale | 2.9 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.5 | 1.6 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.95 | 2.6 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.3 | 3.53 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.18 | 7 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.02 |
| Beck Depression Inventory Scale | 4.6 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.43 | 2.6 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.9 | 4.9 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.33 | 4.05 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.21 | 4.1 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.3 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Mini Mental State Examination >25 | 10 Participants | 10 Participants | 10 Participants | 40 Participants | 10 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | — | — | — | 0 Participants | — |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 10 participants | 10 participants | 10 participants | 40 participants | 10 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 6 Participants | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 21 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 4 Participants | 5 Participants | 5 Participants | 19 Participants | 5 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk | EG002 affected / at risk | EG003 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 | 0 / 10 |
Outcome results
Primary
Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test
Participants got the opportunity to learn the list of 75-word pairs across a total of eight alternating study (S) and test (T) periods. Participants came back for a final test session (all 75 words tested) 7 days later and were asked to give the English translations of Swahili words. A score was calaculated based on the percentage of words (English trnaslations) correctly recalled words.
Time frame: Baseline and 1 week after the tDCS
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| C2 Right | Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test | 50.6 percentage | Standard Error 6.88 |
| C2 Left | Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test | 50.78 percentage | Standard Error 6.88 |
| Trigeminal Nerve | Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test | 32.77 percentage | Standard Error 6.88 |
| Cranial 5/6 Nerves | Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test | 30.25 percentage | Standard Error 6.88 |