Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

Deficient cognitive control (CC) and the use of dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies (ERS) are both central characteristics of major depression. Both are associated with reduced activity of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe, simple and effective non-invasive method to modulate the cortical excitability. The goal of this randomized, sham-controlled, double blind clinical trial is to examine the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the CC and ERS in depressed patients compared to healthy subjects. Overall, the study will include 44 participants (22 depressed Patients and 22 healthy subjects). Each participant will complete a CC task while receiving sham tDCS in one session and anodal tDCS in the other session (counterbalanced). Afterwards the ERS 'rumination' will be measured during a resting phase by means of a questionnaire and psychophysiological measures (heart rate variability). The investigators hypothesize (a) an amelioration of CC by anodal tDCS and (b) a reduced use of the dysfunctional emotion regulation strategy 'rumination' after anodal tDCS. Overall this experiment will provide new and reliable data for the development of new treatment methods.


Clinical Trial Description

1. Working hypothesis: anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) can enhance healthy and impaired cognitive control (CC) and reduce the use of dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies.

2. Previous work of the investigators: The investigators previous work has provided decisive evidence for polarity-specific activity-dependent effects of tDCS to the left dlPFC on cognitive planning and control of emotional information processing in healthy subjects and patients with MD. Particularly, reduced prefrontal brain activity during a working memory task in patients with MD was found by using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). In addition, the investigators demonstrated that a single session, anodal, activity enhancing tDCS to the left dlPFC ameliorates deficient CC in patients with depression, whereas cathodal, activity reducing tDCS, induces a depression-like negativity bias in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the investigators showed that during anodal tDCS of the left dlPFC healthy subjects showed (a) better performance in a CC task (b) no increase in angry mood after the task compared to a control group and (c) that elevated angry mood was associated to a worse performance in the CC task.

3. Aims and workplan: to investigate the effects of anodal tDCS of the left dLPFC in healthy and depressed subjects the investigators will conduct a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled, cross-over design. In two sessions each participant (22 depressed and 22 healthy subjects, N= 44) will complete a CC task while receiving anodal tDCS (1 mA) to the left dlPFC in one session and sham tDCS in the other session (counterbalanced). Afterwards the ERS 'rumination' will be measured during a resting phase by means of a questionnaire and psychophysiological measures. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT03039387
Study type Interventional
Source University Hospital Tuebingen
Contact Christian Plewnia, MD
Phone +49 (0)7071-2986121
Email christian.plewnia@uni-tuebingen.de
Status Recruiting
Phase N/A
Start date September 2016
Completion date April 2017

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT03062150 - Mineralocorticoid Receptor, NMDA Receptor and Cognitive Function in Depression N/A
Completed NCT04352101 - Bupropion Versus Escitalopram on Reward Circuitry and Motivational Deficits Phase 4
Completed NCT02855918 - Blood Biomarkers in Suicidal Behaviour N/A
Recruiting NCT02213016 - Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Depressed Patients Phase 4
Completed NCT01636791 - CBT Versus a Return to Work Intervention for Patients With Common Mental Illness in Primary Care Phase 3
Completed NCT01683539 - Understanding How Cognitive Remediation Works N/A
Recruiting NCT02237937 - Optimizing Antidepressant Treatment by Genotype-dependent Adjustment of Medication According to the ABCB1 Gene Phase 4
Completed NCT01201148 - Open Pilot Trial of TES for Depression Phase 2
Completed NCT00953108 - Quetiapine Prolong, Escitalopram and Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) Axis Activity in Depressed Patients Phase 3
Completed NCT00806143 - Bilateral Versus Monolateral Repetitive Transcranial Stimulation in Depression Phase 4
Terminated NCT00695552 - The Effect of Exercise on Depressive Symptoms in Unmedicated Patients N/A
Terminated NCT01244711 - Open-Label Pilot Study to Examine the Value of Substituting Quetiapine for Benzodiazepines Phase 4
Completed NCT00711737 - Study of the Changes in Metabolic Parameters in Patients Treated With Escitalopram for Six Months N/A
Completed NCT00532480 - Study of Brain Response to Emotional Pictures Using a fMRI While on Duloxetine Phase 4
Completed NCT00466323 - The Effectiveness of FMPO in Improving the Quality of Care for Persons With Severe Mental Illness. N/A
Completed NCT00482482 - Yoga in Unipolar and Bipolar Disorders N/A
Completed NCT00616759 - The Effect on Cognition of Terminating ECT Induced Seizures With Propofol N/A
Recruiting NCT00209807 - Effect of Escitalopram vs. Reboxetine on Gastro-intestinal Sensitivity of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder Phase 4
Completed NCT00149110 - Chronos: the Use of Chronobiological Treatment in Depression N/A
Completed NCT00167310 - Decreasing Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Schizophrenia by Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Phase 2