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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07063264

Effects of HD-tDCS During Slow-wave Sleep on Associative Memory

To evaluate the effects of afternoon naps and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in associative memory (AM)

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Key information

Conditions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Healthy Adults

Age range

18 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Anhui Medical University

Hefei, Anhui, 230032, China

About this study

Healthy adults will be randomized into three groups: a sleep with active stimulation (Sleep-A) group will receive active anode HD-tDCS during slow-wave sleep (SWS) of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) at afternoon nap, a sleep with sham stimulation (Sleep-S) group will receive afternoon nap with sham stimulation, and wake with active stimulation (Wake-A) group will receive active anode HD-tDCS during wakefulness. An anode stimulation electrode will be placed in F3 (10/20 system) which intend to target the left DLPFC, and four cathodes will be placed at FCz, AFz, F7, and C5 (10/20 system). The face-word AM task and other multidimensional neuropsychological tasks will be performed before and after afternoon napping.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • aged 18-30 years
  • healthy adults

Exclusion criteria

  • with pacemakers, skull cavities or cracks；
  • intolerance of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) adverse reactions；
  • left-handed；
  • diagnosed with severe mental disorders, or involved in other experiments.

Treatment and study plan

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)

Device

HD-tDCS is described as a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that uses a low-intensity, direct current applied directly to the head through scalp electrodes

sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)

Device

Sham HD-tDCS was delivered using the same protocol and current intensity, but the period of active stimulation was only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 30 and 30 seconds.

Primary outcomes

  1. face-word assciative memory task score

    Time frame: 1 hour after the end of the afternoon nap

    In the face-cued word association test, participants viewed 20 grayscale photographs of faces on a computer screen, each shown for 3 seconds. Each photograph was paired with a distinct word, which participants read aloud when shown. Participants were instructed to memorize the word linked to each face. One minute later, participants viewed the same 20 faces in a new random order. They were then asked to recall the associated words. Each face was scored as correct or incorrect, and the total number of correct responses formed the AM score.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) score

    Time frame: 2 hours after the end of afternoon nap

    There are two parts to the test process: learning phase and delayed recall phase. During the learning phase, subjects were asked to listen to a list of words and recall them. During the delayed recall phase, subjects were asked to recall the list of previously learned words again after a period of time. Scoring usually includes recording the number of correct memories the subject has during the learning phase and delayed recall phase, as well as the types of possible errors (such as forgetting, confusion, etc.). Depending on the subject's performance, learning and memory abilities can be assessed. The normal ranges of immediate memory, delayed memory and recognition memory were 10, 8 and 10 respectively. Higher scores mean a better outcome.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

WANG KAI

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation During Slow-wave Sleep on Associative Memory

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Jul 14, 2025
Registry last updated
Jul 14, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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