Cognitive Control
Conditions
Keywords
Brain stimulation, Cognitive training, Cognition, Cognitive enhancement, Transcranial direct current stimulation
Brief summary
Cognitive control (CC) is an important prerequisite for goal-directed behaviour and often associated with dysfunctional prefrontal activity within the cortex. This can be ameliorated by non-invasive brain stimulation. In this randomised single-blind study we compare effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on CC in healthy subjects. The study includes 162 subjects who undergo a two-week (six sessions) training of cognitive control (adaptive paced auditory serial addition task, PASAT) supported by tDCS. Subjects are randomised to receive either concurrent anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS with an intensity of 1 mA or 2 mA of their left (F3) or right (F4) PFC, resulting in eight stimulation groups. Stimulation effects on performance changes are compared to a sham control group.Changes in Affective state are measured by the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS), possible transfer effects are assessed by the Eriksen Flanker task. Stability of effects is measured up to three months after the last intervention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALEffect of tDCS on cognitive control task performance
Added verum or sham tDCS while working on a cognitive control task.
Sponsors
University Hospital Tuebingen
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Healthy subjects * Right-handed (assessed by Edinburgh Handedness Inventory) * No other concurrent brain stimulation during participation * Proficient in German (min. CEFR level B) * Ability to strictly adhere to study timeline
Exclusion criteria
* Diagnosed neurological illnesses * Diagnosed psychiatric disorders * Achromatopsia * Metallic implants / tattoos on or near electrode sites * Consumption of tobacco to an equivalent of ten or more cigarettes per day * Prior participation in experiments involving the PASAT
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive performance | 2 to 14 weeks | Changes in performance in the PASAT (as assessed by number of correct trials within each PASAT session) due to the various tDCS interventions. All eight interventions will be compared to the sham group. Cognitive performance is modified by tDCS, which is applied through a multi-channel stimulator (DC-Stimulator MC, NeuroConn GmbH, Ilmenau, Germany; software version 1.3.8; two rectangular rubber electrodes (5 x 7 cm)). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Affective state | 2 weeks | Changes in affective state over the course of the experiment (assessed by the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) questionnaire). Scores are calculated for negative and positive affect separately, by summing up the respective answers. |
| Transfer effect | 3 weeks | Transfer effects in the Eriksen Flanker task (assessed through mean reaction times). Means are calculated for congruent, incongruent, and neutral trials respectively. |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed