Investigating Accelerated Learning and Memory in Healthy Subjects Using a Face Name Memory Task

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether we can accelerate learning and improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects by applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during a Face Name memory task.

Completed

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Adults

Age range

18 year–35 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The University of Texas of Dallas

Richardson, Texas, 75080, United States

About this study

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 we can accelerate learning and improve associative memory using tDCS, we will compare the performance in a Face Name Associate memory task from 2 groups. The first group will get active tDCS during the study phase of the Face Name Memory task, whereas the second group will get sham tDCS during the study phase of the task.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

Age: 18-35 years
Native English Speaker

Exclusion criteria

History of severe head injuries, epileptic insults, or heart disease.
Severe psychiatric disorders and severe untreated medical problems.
Contraindications for tDCS (pregnant women, implanted devices)

Treatment and study plan

tDCS

Device

active tDCS

Sham tDCS

Device

sham tDCS

Primary outcomes

Associative Memory Assessed by a Face Name Associate Memory Experiment

Time frame: Associate Memory is assessed after a 10 minutes break following the study phase

All participants performed a face memory task .The face stimuli consisted of 120 grayscale pictures of human faces. Only faces with a neutral expression facing forward were selected. Half of the faces were male, and the other half were female. The face-name association memory task was divided into (1) an encoding phase, (2) a consolidation phase, and (3) a retrieval phase. During the encoding phase, participants studied 60 successively presented face-name pairs and were instructed to assess their gender to keep them focused to the task. The encoding phase was followed by a consolidation phase where participants were instructed to "sit still, relax, and think about nothing in particular" for 10 minutes, During the retrieval phase, participants were presented with 60 old and 60 new faces and were instructed to assess whether they have seen this face during the encoding phase.

The outcome was the percent of Correct Name to Face Matches

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas at Dallas

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2017
Primary completion: 2022
Study completion: 2022
First posted: Oct 13, 2017
Registry last updated: Feb 3, 2022

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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Completed