The Effect of Prefrontal Cortex Stimulation on Antisocial and Aggressive Behavior

Aggression Clinical Trial

Official title:

The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Prefrontal Cortex on Antisocial and Aggressive Behavior

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02427672
• Other study ID #: 821313
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: March 2015
• Est. completion date: December 2018

Study information

• Verified date: August 2019
• Source: University of Pennsylvania
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

This study investigates the effect of upregulating prefrontal cortex activity on antisocial and aggressive behavior and risk factors for such behavior. In the double-blind, randomized controlled trial, participants will undergo anodal transcranial direct current stimulation bilaterally to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or a sham stimulation. During and after stimulation, they will complete survey and laboratory measures assessing antisocial and aggressive behavior and risk factors for antisocial and aggressive behavior. Heart rate and skin conductance will also be measured.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 84
• Est. completion date: December 2018
• Est. primary completion date: December 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Above 18 years of age

• Able to understand the nature of the study and give informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of or active neurologic, cardiovascular, or psychiatric disease

• Currently consuming anti-convulsant, anti-psychotic, or sedative/hypnotic medications

• Currently consuming anti-depressants

• History of seizures

• Metallic implants on the scalp

• Participation in other transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) or tDCS experiments on the same day

• History of adverse reactions to tDCS

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Aggression
• Antisocial Behavior
• Antisocial Personality Disorder

Intervention

Device:
• Transcranial direct current stimulation

• Sham transcranial direct current stimulation

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Pennsylvania

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (1)

Choy O, Raine A, Hamilton RH. Stimulation of the Prefrontal Cortex Reduces Intentions to Commit Aggression: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Stratified, Parallel-Group Trial. J Neurosci. 2018 Jul 18;38(29):6505-6512. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in Antisocial Behavior Inclinations at 24 Hours	This will be assessed using hypothetical scenarios in which someone commits a criminal or antisocial act. The two brief scenarios describe a physical assault and a sexual assault. Participants will respond to the likelihood that they would commit the act in the scenario according to a 10-point Likert scale. Responses were measured on a scale ranging from zero (no chance at all) to ten (100 percent chance). Scores for both scenarios were summed to obtain an overall measure of intentions to commit aggression. Possible scores range from 0 to 20. A higher value indicates a greater inclination to engage in the antisocial act.	Baseline (an average of 15 minutes before receiving tDCS or sham) and on average, 24 hours following stimulation or sham
Primary	Number of Pins Inserted Into a Virtual Voodoo Doll at 24 Hours	The number of pins (between 0 and 51) that participants decide to insert into a picture of a voodoo doll on a computer that represents either a romantic partner or close friend will be recorded on average 24 hours after receiving tDCS or sham stimulation.	On average, 24 hours after the tDCS or sham session