Determining the Specificity of High Definition Electrical Brain Stimulation Using Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Visual Task; Working Memory Task; Motor Task; Real HD-tDCS; Sham HD-tDCS; Auditory Task
• Interventions: Device: HD-tDCS

• Registration Number: NCT02060708
• Lead Sponsor: The Hospital for Sick Children

Brief Summary

Non-invasive human brain stimulation using weak transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) has been thousands of times in research studies over the past fifteen years as a therapy to help improve the effectiveness of repeated training sessions (e.g., hand exercises in the context of daily physiotherapy), due to its safety, tolerability, convenience and cost-effectiveness. tDCS works by temporarily enhancing brain activity during performance of a specific task, helping with learning and training.

The investigators will use magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain imaging to view the real-time effects of high definition (HD) tDCS on several brain areas involved in vision, hearing, movement, and memory. The investigators hypothesize that changing the task (auditory, visual or memory task) but keeping the position of the electrodes over the motor cortex will result in modulation of brain activity in only the central target motor area, and not on non-target temporal, occipital or pre-frontal areas.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2014-02-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2014-02-10
• Study First Posted: 2014-02-12
• Study Start: 2015-01
• Primary Completion: 2015-06
• Study Completion: 2015-06
• Status Verified: 2016-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2016-04-19
• Last Update Posted: 2016-04-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 16

Inclusion Criteria

• Normal hearing and vision

Exclusion Criteria

• Current pregnancy
• Presence of metallic implants in the head
• Use of any medications
• Any history of mental health or neurological conditions
• Inability to perform any of the tasks for any reason

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Real HD-tDCS first, Sham HD-tDCS second	HD-tDCS	Real HD-tDCS will be applied in the first session Sham HD-tDCS will be applied in the second session (at least one week after the first session)
Sham HD-tDCS first, Real HD-tDCS second	HD-tDCS	Sham HD-tDCS will be applied in the first session Real HD-tDCS will be applied in the second session (at least one week after the first session)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change from baseline in brain activity	Immediate (20 minutes)	Assessment of changes in brain activity will be done using both event-related and frequency domain beam former localization.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

The Hospital for Sick Children; 🇨🇦 Toronto, Ontario, Canada