Conventional or High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Enhance Implicit Motor Sequence Learning in Healthy Young Adults?
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 90
- 试验地点
- 2
- 主要终点
- Sequence-Specific Learning Effect (during and following active tDCS)
研究概览
简要总结
Implicit motor sequence learning (IMSL) is a form of cognitive function that is known to be directly associated with motor function. This hallmark motor skill enables humans to perform multiple single movements in a specific sequential order and is involved in many of our daily activities (e.g. reaching, dressing, typing). One promising tool that has been shown to improve this type of learning in healthy young individuals, is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). This non-invasive brain stimulation technique entails the administration of a weak electrical current at the scalp between two electrodes. To date, studies have almost exclusively investigated effects of conventional tDCS. Recently, however, novel High Definition (HD) tDCS devices have been commercialised. Whereas conventional tDCS uses two rather large electrodes, likely including adjacent cortical areas in the stimulation, HD-tDCS uses multiple smaller electrodes, allowing for stimulation of the targeted cortical region with higher resolution/specificity. The aim of the present study is to confirm previous findings suggesting beneficial effects of conventional tDCS, delivered over the primary motor cortex (M1) in healthy young adults. Additionally, the investigators will be the first to investigate potential effects of HD tDCS on IMSL in this population and to make a comparison between these two devices. The investigators will determine immediate effects that may occur concurrently with the application of tDCS but also short-term (five minutes post-tDCS) and long-term (one week post-tDCS) consolidation effects, as previous studies suggest that tDCS exerts its beneficial effects on IMSL in a consolidation phase rather than in an acquisition phase.
详细描述
STUDY DESIGN
The investigators will conduct a single-blind, sham-controlled, counterbalanced study. For the sequence-specific aspect of IMSL (primary outcome), a mixed factorial repeated measures ANOVA will be carried out with "device" (2 levels: conventional tDCS, HD tDCS) as between-subjects factor and "stimulation" (2 levels: anodal, sham), "blocks" (2 levels: random block, mean of adjacent blocks) and "time" (3 levels: during, post5min, post1week) as within-subjects factors. Similarly, for general learning (secondary outcome), a mixed factorial repeated measures ANOVA will be executed with "device" (2 levels: conventional tDCS, HD tDCS) as between-subjects factor and "stimulation" (2 levels: anodal, sham), "blocks" (7 levels: Blocks 1-6, Block 8) and "time" (3 levels: during, post5min, post1week) as within-subjects factors. Participants are randomly assigned to either the conventional tDCS group or the HD tDCS group by block randomization. All participants will receive both anodal (real) and sham (placebo) tDCS in a random order. Counterbalancing will be done by an independent investigator using Microsoft Excel®.
RECRUITMENT STRATEGY
Healthy young adults will be recruited from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. There are no restrictions or prohibitions for the subjects.
MATERIALS
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Crossover
- 主要目的
- Basic Science
- 盲法
- Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 35 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •no history of neurological and/or recent musculoskeletal diseases that could hamper the execution of the SRT-task.
排除标准
- •any of the following tDCS contra-indications: deep brain stimulator; pacemaker; head wound; skin condition of the scalp; a history of epilepsy.
结局指标
主要结局
Sequence-Specific Learning Effect (during and following active tDCS)
时间窗: Changes in Sequence-Specific Learning Effect will be assessed between: (baseline) during active tDCS; (short-term) 5-minutes post active tDCS; (long-term) 1 week post active tDCS
In a typical SRT task, a target (e.g. black dot) is presented in one of four horizontal locations on a computer screen. Participants are asked to react to the target location by pressing a spatially compatible response key. Participants are not informed that the order of target locations follows a sequence predetermined by the experimenter. Participants are trained on the sequence in several blocks of trials, e.g.: 7 blocks of 100 trials. Typically, reaction times (RTs) decrease with practice, which is referred to as a general learning effect and constitutes the non-sequence-specific learning component of IMSL. Crucially, RTs increase when the sequence is inconspicuously replaced by a random sequence and decrease again when the predetermined sequence is reintroduced. The latter is referred to as the sequence-specific learning effect and is calculated by subtracting the mean RTs of the adjacent sequel blocks.
Sequence-Specific Learning Effect (during and following sham tDCS)
时间窗: Changes in Sequence-Specific Learning Effect will be assessed between: (baseline) during sham tDCS; (short-term) 5-minutes post sham tDCS; (long-term) 1 week post sham tDCS
In a typical SRT task, a target (e.g. black dot) is presented in one of four horizontal locations on a computer screen. Participants are asked to react to the target location by pressing a spatially compatible response key. Participants are not informed that the order of target locations follows a sequence predetermined by the experimenter. Participants are trained on the sequence in several blocks of trials, e.g.: 7 blocks of 100 trials. Typically, reaction times (RTs) decrease with practice, which is referred to as a general learning effect and constitutes the non-sequence-specific learning component of IMSL. Crucially, RTs increase when the sequence is inconspicuously replaced by a random sequence and decrease again when the predetermined sequence is reintroduced. The latter is referred to as the sequence-specific learning effect and is calculated by subtracting the mean RTs of the adjacent sequel blocks.
次要结局
- General Learning Effect (during and following active tDCS)(Changes in General Learning Effect will be assessed between: (baseline) during active tDCS; (short-term) 5-minutes post active tDCS; (long-term) 1 week post active tDCS)
- General Learning Effect (during and following sham tDCS)(Changes in General Learning Effect will be assessed between: (baseline) during sham tDCS; (short-term) 5-minutes post sham tDCS; (long-term) 1 week post sham tDCS)
研究者
Mahyar Firouzi
Principle Investigator (Doctoral Researcher)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel