Investigating Accelerated Learning in Healthy Subjects: Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation

Not Applicable

Terminated

• Conditions: Healthy Adults
• Interventions: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation- Neuroconn DC Stimulator PLUS

• Registration Number: NCT03138590
• Lead Sponsor: The University of Texas at Dallas

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects, by applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) targeting the trigeminal nerve during a verbal paired-associate learning task

Detailed Description

Associative memory refers to remembering the association between two items, such as a face and a name or a word in English and the same word in another language. It is not only important for learning, but it is also one of the first aspects of memory performance that is impacted by aging and by Alzheimer׳s disease. For decades, neuroscientists have investigated associative learning and memory and ways to accelerate and enhance associative learning and memory.

Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless electrical stimulation technique that has demonstrated to accelerate learning and improve memory in some studies. To investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory using tDCS, the performance in a Verbal Paired-Associate memory task of 2 groups will be compared. The first group will get active tDCS during the verbal paired-associate learning task. The second group will get sham tDCS during the verbal paired-associate learning task.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2017-04-04
• Study First Submitted: 2017-04-28
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-04-28
• Study First Posted: 2017-05-03
• Results First Submitted: 2020-04-22
• Results First Submitted QC: 2020-08-24
• Results First Posted: 2020-09-11
• Status Verified: 2022-01
• Primary Completion: 2022-01-25
• Study Completion: 2022-01-25
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-01-27
• Last Update Posted: 2022-02-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

• Native English Speaker

Exclusion Criteria

• History of severe head injuries, epileptic insults, or heart disease.
• Severe psychiatric disorders and severe untreated medical problems
• Acquainted with the foreign language used in the learning task
• Contraindications for tDCS (e.g. pregnant, implanted devices)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Sham tDCS	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation- Neuroconn DC Stimulator PLUS	Sham transcranial Direct Current Stimulation targeting the trigeminal nerve
Active tDCS	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation- Neuroconn DC Stimulator PLUS	Active transcranial Direct Current Stimulation targeting the trigeminal nerve

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Associative Memory Assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate Test	1 week after stimualtion	Changes in performance in the Verbal Paired-Associate memory task is compared between the 2 groups (1. Active tDCS 2. Sham tDCS) to investigate the influence of tDCS on Associative Memory.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

The University of Texas of Dallas; 🇺🇸 Richardson, Texas, United States