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NCT Number: NCT04885322

Effects of PFC tDCS on Cognitive Control, Attention Lapses and Coordinated Neural Activity in the Theta and Alpha Bands

The purpose of this study is to better understand the neural correlates of higher-order cognition, both in the healthy brain and in schizophrenia, and to determine how these mechanisms are modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at frontal and occipital scalp sites. Testing the effects of tDCS at these scalp sites on cognitive task performance will help us understand the roles of the brain regions corresponding to these sites during higher-order cognitive processing (language comprehension, cognitive control, and related attention and memory processes). Behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) measures will be used to assess cognitive performance. Our overarching hypothesis is that stimulating prefrontal circuits with tDCS can improve cognitive control performance, and ultimately performance on a range of cognitive tasks, as compared to stimulating a different cortical region (occipital cortex) or using sham stimulation.

This study is solely intended as basic research in order to understand brain function in healthy individuals and individuals with schizophrenia. This study is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat schizophrenia or any other disease.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy

Age range

18 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Imaging Research Center

Sacramento, California, 95817, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Cameron Carter, M.D.

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Vanessa Zarubin, BS/BA

CONTACT

[email protected]

916-734-3749

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • between ages of 18 and 50
  • ability to sufficiently speak and understand English so as to be able to understand and complete cognitive tasks
  • ability to give valid informed consent

Exclusion criteria

  • no history of head trauma
  • no current or previous history of treatment with psychotropic medication
  • corrected vision 20/30 or better
  • tDCS/MRI contraindications, including: pregnancy, ferrous metal in any part of the body, serious medical conditions, claustrophobia, metallic implants, skin damage, conditions such as eczema at electrode sites, cranial pathologies

Treatment and study plan

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Device

In tDCS, saline-soaked electrodes are temporary affixed to the scalp and connected to a battery-powered current generator. A weak (2 mA) constant current is then briefly applied (~20 minutes) to stimulate the targeted brain area. The targeted brain area is determined by the Study Arm.

Primary outcomes

  1. Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    Incongruent versus Congruent difference in error rate and reaction time

  2. EEG Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    response-locked power in the theta frequency band (4-7 Hz)

  3. Behavioral Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    Error Rate on Incorrect Congruent trials (Full Lapses) and Slow-but-Correct Congruent trials (Partial Lapses)

  4. EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    Pre-trial power in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz)

  5. Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    WM storage capacity (k-max)

  6. EEG Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    delay period power in the theta frequency band (4-7 Hz)

  7. Behavioral Attention Lapse Measures on the Change Detection Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    Attention factor (a); Guess factor (g)

  8. EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Change Detection Task

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    Pre-trial power in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz)

  9. Delivered tDCS Dose to PFC

    Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month

    Estimated electric field in PFC region of interest

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Minhtrang Chu

CONTACT

[email protected]

1-916-734-1482

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, Davis

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
May 13, 2021
Registry last updated
Dec 5, 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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