Using Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Current Stimulation (tCS) to Study and Modulate Cognition Study

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Inter-individual Variability

• Registration Number: NCT03293316
• Lead Sponsor: University of Oxford

Brief Summary

Inter-individual variability in responsiveness to interventions poses great challenges for translational neuroscience, and health care in general. The investigations sought to examine the potential for high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to modulate sustained attention in a manner that was informed by individual differences in EEG indices.

Detailed Description

Inter-individual variability in responsiveness to interventions poses great challenges for translational neuroscience, and health care in general. Reliable and cost- effective screening procedures that can identify individuals who are more likely to benefit from an intervention could have substantial real-world benefits. Here, the investigators sought to examine the potential for high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to modulate sustained attention in a manner that was informed by individual differences in a well-studied electrocortical marker, spontaneous theta/beta ratio. The investigators hypothesized that individuals with relatively high theta/beta ratios, putatively reflecting suboptimal cortical arousal, would be more likely to benefit from the gains in cortical excitability afforded by tRNS. Seventy-two young healthy adults were administered 1mA, 2mA and sham tRNS in a double-blind, randomised, cross-over manner, while they performed a continuous monitoring paradigm. Electroencephalography was acquired before and after each stimulation condition.

This approach may constitute a feasible means of using individual differences in neurophysiology to inform predictions about outcomes from targeted cognitive interventions.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-11
• Primary Completion: 2016-10
• Study Completion: 2016-10
• Status Verified: 2017-09
• Study First Submitted: 2017-09-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-09-21
• Study First Posted: 2017-09-26
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-09-29
• Last Update Posted: 2017-10-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 72

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Electroencephalography	4 minutes	Voltage readings from the scalp

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Sustained Attention performance	20 minutes	Sustained Attention performance was defined as response time variability on a continuous monitoring paradigm