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HD-tDCS Over the dACC in High Trait Impulsivity

Primary Purpose

Impulsive Behavior

Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
Australia
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Active High Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS)
Sham High Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS)
Sponsored by
Monash University
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional device feasibility trial for Impulsive Behavior focused on measuring Impulsivity, HD-tDCS, dACC, ERN, Go/NoGo, MSIT

Eligibility Criteria

18 Years - 55 Years (Adult)All SexesAccepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Right-handed
  • Score > 46 on SUPPS-P

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Score low on trait impulsivity as determined by a score of < 47 on the SUPPS-P short form
  • History of DSM-5 defined neurological illness, mental illness or traumatic brain injury,
  • Currently taking any psychoactive medications,
  • Have metal anywhere in the head, except the mouth. This includes metallic objects such as screws, plates and clips from surgical procedures.
  • Currently pregnant or lactating,
  • Being left-handed

Sites / Locations

  • Monash University, BrainPark

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Sham Comparator

Arm Label

Active HD-tDCS

Sham HD-tDCS

Arm Description

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Change in error related negativity (ERN) measured by electroencephalography (EEG) after active and sham HD-tDCS
To measure changes in electrophysiological measures of error processing after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Change in NoGo N2 measured by electroencephalography (EEG)
To measure changes in electrophysiological measures of early inhibitory control processes after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Change in NoGo P3 measured by electroencephalography (EEG) after active and sham HD-tDCS
To measure changes in electrophysiological measures of motor inhibitory control processes after active vs. sham HD-tDCS

Secondary Outcome Measures

Change in percentage of correct nogo trials on Go/NoGo task after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
To measure the effect of active vs. sham HD-tDCS on accuracy on trials for which responses have to be inhibited. Represents a measure of change in inhibitory control.
Change in reaction times on Go trials during Go/NoGo task after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
To measure changes in speed of motor responses during Go/NoGo task differences after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Change in reaction times post incorrect trials during Go/NoGo task after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
To measure the effect of active vs. sham HD-tDCS on post-error slowing as behavioural measure of error processing.
Change in interference effect on multisource interference task (MSIT) after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
The interference effect is calculated by subtracting the mean reaction time for congruent trials from the mean reaction time for incongruent trials. A larger interference effect reflects worse performance and is suggested to reflect decreased dACC activity.

Full Information

First Posted
February 18, 2020
Last Updated
May 13, 2021
Sponsor
Monash University
Collaborators
Erasmus University Rotterdam, ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT04290533
Brief Title
HD-tDCS Over the dACC in High Trait Impulsivity
Official Title
HD-tDCS Over the dACC in High Trait Impulsivity
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
May 2021
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
March 4, 2019 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
December 15, 2019 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
January 15, 2020 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Principal Investigator
Name of the Sponsor
Monash University
Collaborators
Erasmus University Rotterdam, ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Data Monitoring Committee
Yes

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
Psychological disorders characterized by impulsivity often show alterations in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activity. Recent research has therefore focused on non-invasive neurostimulation therapies for the modulation of functional activity in the dACC. To date there has only been one proof-of-concept study providing evidence for modulating dACC activity with non-invasive electrical neurostimulation (e.g. transcranial electrical stimulation). Since transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is relatively safe, tolerable, and mobile as compared to other neurostimulation techniques, it is worthwhile looking further into the effects of tDCS on functional dACC activity. The aim of the present research is to explore whether HD-tDCS can induce changes in the dACC in individuals with high trait impulsivity (N=20) in a double-blind cross-over study. Functional changes in dACC activity will be measured by the error related negativity (ERN), which is an event related potential generated by the dACC. The ERN is less pronounced in people that score high on impulsivity. It is therefore expect enhanced ERN amplitudes after HD-tDCS over the dACC. In addition, performance on the multisource interference task will be used as measure of dACC activity. It is hypothesize that increased dACC activity will be related to decreased impulsivity in high impulsive individuals as shown by improved inhibitory control on the Go/NoGo task. The results of the study may have implications for patient populations that are characterized by impulsivity.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Impulsive Behavior
Keywords
Impulsivity, HD-tDCS, dACC, ERN, Go/NoGo, MSIT

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Device Feasibility
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Crossover Assignment
Masking
ParticipantInvestigator
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
23 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Active HD-tDCS
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Title
Sham HD-tDCS
Arm Type
Sham Comparator
Intervention Type
Device
Intervention Name(s)
Active High Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS)
Intervention Description
TDCS is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that modulates membrane potentials by means of small electrical currents. Electrical currents induced by tDCS electrodes produce an electrical field that modulates the excitability of brain areas. In the present HD-tDCS montage, one anodal electrode and four return electrodes are applied. Hereby, the anodal electrode modulates the excitability of the targeted area, whereas the other 4 electrodes return electrical currents that flow away from that area. Direct currents will be transmitted through 5 circular PiStim electrodes of 3.14cm2 (Neuroelectrics, Barcelona, Spain; current density=0.32 mA/cm2) with a current intensity of 1.5 mA. The HD-tDCS session will last for 20 minutes in total, with a 60 sec ramp at the beginning and end of the session. The electrodes will be filled with conductive gel and plugged into an EEG cap, with the anode placed over Fz and the four return electrodes over Fp1, Fp2, F7, and F8 (10-20 system).
Intervention Type
Device
Intervention Name(s)
Sham High Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS)
Intervention Description
For the sham-condition, the placement of the electrodes was identical to active HD-tDCS stimulation with the anode placed over Fz and the four return electrodes over Fp1, Fp2, F7, and F8 (10-20 system). The direct current, also transmitted through 5 circular PiStim electrodes of 3.14cm2 (Neuroelectrics, Barcelona, Spain; current density=0.32 mA/cm2), was increased in a ramp-like fashion over 60 seconds until it reached 1.5 mA. Directly after ramp-up, the current intensity was gradually switched off over 60 seconds, followed by 20 minutes without active stimulation. Sham procedures for tDCS mimic the transient skin sensation at the beginning of active HD-tDCS, without producing any conditioning effects on the brain. Consequently, participants are reliably blinded for sham tDCS.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Change in error related negativity (ERN) measured by electroencephalography (EEG) after active and sham HD-tDCS
Description
To measure changes in electrophysiological measures of error processing after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Title
Change in NoGo N2 measured by electroencephalography (EEG)
Description
To measure changes in electrophysiological measures of early inhibitory control processes after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Title
Change in NoGo P3 measured by electroencephalography (EEG) after active and sham HD-tDCS
Description
To measure changes in electrophysiological measures of motor inhibitory control processes after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Secondary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Change in percentage of correct nogo trials on Go/NoGo task after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Description
To measure the effect of active vs. sham HD-tDCS on accuracy on trials for which responses have to be inhibited. Represents a measure of change in inhibitory control.
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Title
Change in reaction times on Go trials during Go/NoGo task after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Description
To measure changes in speed of motor responses during Go/NoGo task differences after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Title
Change in reaction times post incorrect trials during Go/NoGo task after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Description
To measure the effect of active vs. sham HD-tDCS on post-error slowing as behavioural measure of error processing.
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Title
Change in interference effect on multisource interference task (MSIT) after active vs. sham HD-tDCS
Description
The interference effect is calculated by subtracting the mean reaction time for congruent trials from the mean reaction time for incongruent trials. A larger interference effect reflects worse performance and is suggested to reflect decreased dACC activity.
Time Frame
Baseline, directly after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS, and 30 min after (active vs. sham) HD-tDCS.
Other Pre-specified Outcome Measures:
Title
Trait impulsivity as measured by the The Short Version of the Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking and Positive Urgency Impulsive behaviour scale (SUPPS-P)
Description
The SUPPS-P is a widely used robust validated 20-item scale that measures five dimensions of impulsive behavior: negative urgency, premeditation, perseverance, sensation seeking and positive urgency. Participants are asked to indicate how strongly or disagree they agree scale (1 = agree strongly to 4 = disagree strongly) with statements that relate to impulsive tendencies, such as "When I feel bad, I will often do things I later regret in order to make myself feel better now" and "I tend to lose control when I am in a great mood". Higher scores indicate more impulsiveness. For the current study, we used a cut-off score of 47 for high trait impulsivity. This score was determined following analysis of a large database (n = 485) of mental health questionnaires completed by a community sample as part of an ongoing Monash University BrainPark study.
Time Frame
Baseline
Title
Obsessional Behaviour Questionnaire-44 (OBQ-44)
Description
The OBQ-44 is a validated 44-item questionnaire, that measures the degree of obsessional beliefs. Participants are asked to indicate how strongly or disagree they agree scale (1 = disagree very much to 7 = agree very much) with statements about responsibility/threat estimation (e.g. "harmful events will happen unless I am careful"), perfectionism/certainty (e.g. "I must be certain of my decisions"), and importance/control of thoughts (e.g. "having nasty thoughts means I am a terrible person"). A higher score means participants experience stronger obsessional beliefs.
Time Frame
Baseline
Title
Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12)
Description
IUS-12 is a short version of the original 27-item Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale that measures responses to uncertainty, ambiguous situations, and the future. The 12 items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all characteristic of me) to 5 (entirely characteristic of me). A higher score indicates more intolerance of uncertainty.
Time Frame
Baseline
Title
Demographic information
Description
Age, Gender, years of education
Time Frame
Baseline

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
18 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
55 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Right-handed Score > 46 on SUPPS-P Exclusion Criteria: Score low on trait impulsivity as determined by a score of < 47 on the SUPPS-P short form History of DSM-5 defined neurological illness, mental illness or traumatic brain injury, Currently taking any psychoactive medications, Have metal anywhere in the head, except the mouth. This includes metallic objects such as screws, plates and clips from surgical procedures. Currently pregnant or lactating, Being left-handed
Facility Information:
Facility Name
Monash University, BrainPark
City
Melbourne
State/Province
Victoria
ZIP/Postal Code
3800
Country
Australia

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No
Citations:
PubMed Identifier
33515536
Citation
Verveer I, Hill AT, Franken IHA, Yucel M, van Dongen JDM, Segrave R. Modulation of control: Can HD-tDCS targeting the dACC reduce impulsivity? Brain Res. 2021 Apr 1;1756:147282. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147282. Epub 2021 Jan 28.
Results Reference
result

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HD-tDCS Over the dACC in High Trait Impulsivity

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