Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Offenders
Aggression, Risk-Taking, Antisocial Behavior
About this trial
This is an interventional basic science trial for Aggression
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Between 18 and 50 years of age
- Able to understand the nature of the study and give informed consent
- Individuals in the violent offender group must have a record of repeated violent criminal offending (at least 2 felonies).
- Individuals in the violent offender group must have been convicted solely due to crimes involving violence motivated by impulsive aggression.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Presence of any contraindications for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
- History of significant medical illness
- History of any neurological condition
- Diagnosis of schizophrenia
- History of epilepsy
- Head injury
- Mental retardation
Sites / Locations
- Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Sham Comparator
Anodal stimulation
Sham stimulation
Participants in the active stimulation group will undergo anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS will be delivered by a battery-driven, constant-current stimulator connected to two saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes. An anodal electrode (25cm2) will be placed over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and one cathodal electrode (100cm2) will be placed over the left supraorbital area at least 5cm from the anode. Scalp electrodes will be positioned according to the 10-20 EEG international system. A current of 2mA will be applied for 20 minutes and the current will be ramped up and down over 20 seconds at the beginning and end of the stimulation period.
The sham tDCS condition will involve the same placement of the electrodes, current intensity, and ramp-up/down time as the active tDCS condition, but stimulation will only last for 30 seconds.