Modulation of Visual-Spatial Learning in Healthy Young Adults by tDCS

Healthy Young Adults Clinical Trial

Official title:

Modulation of Visual-Spatial Learning in Healthy Young Adults by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation - Proof of Principle and Mechanisms

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02110407
• Other study ID #: LOCATO-YA-tDCS
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: February 13, 2014
• Last updated: July 26, 2017
• Start date: March 2014
• Est. completion date: May 2017

Study information

• Verified date: July 2017
• Source: Charite University, Berlin, Germany
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) leads to an improvement of learning and memory in healthy young adults and to examine the underlying neuronal mechanism.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 24
• Est. completion date: May 2017
• Est. primary completion date: January 2017
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 35 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• right handednesss

• unobtrusive neuropsychological screening

• age: 18-35 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe internal or psychiatric disease

• epilepsy

• other severe neurological disease, e.g. previous major stroke, brain tumor

• DMS-IV manifest dementia

• contraindication for MRT (claustrophobia, metallic implants, tattoos)

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Healthy Young Adults

Intervention

Device:
• tDCS
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Behavioral:
• training
intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (in LOCATO task)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Germany	Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin	Berlin

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Germany, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	performance in LOCATO task (visual-spatial learning and memory) after a combination of intensive visual-spatial training and tDCS	Investigation whether the combination of intensive visual-spatial training (LOCATO task) and tDCS leads to improvement of visual-spatial learning and memory measured by the performance in LOCATO task after end of a 3 day period of training compared to sham stimulation.	immediately after end of a 3 day period of training in tDCS condition vs sham condition
Secondary	long term effects	long term effetcs measured by performance in LOCATO task after end of training and after 1 month compared to control conditions	after 1 month vs baseline
Secondary	functional changes: Connectivity	Connectivity (measured by resting-state fMRT and correlation analysis) at baseline compared to end of training	after end of 3-day cognitive training vs baseline
Secondary	cortical excitability	cortical excitability measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)	at baseline
Secondary	Quality of Life	quality of life as measured by standardized questionaire at baseline compared to quality of life measured 1 month after intervention (training and stimulation vs. training and sham-stimualtion)	after 1 month vs baseline
Secondary	memory	memory performance tested at baseline compared to memory performance after the end of a 3-day cognitive training period and after 1 month (posttraining) in training and stimulation vs. training and sham stimulation	immediately after end of 3-day of cognitive training, after 1 month vs. baseline
Secondary	genotyping of learning related polymorphisms	To assess predictors of positive reaction to brain stimulation, genotyping of several learning related polymorphisms will be performed (i.e., APOE, BDNF Val66Met, COMT Val158Met).	once