Impact of tDCS on Emotional Processing in Healthy Subjects. (EmoStimH)

Hôpital le Vinatier

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Treatments: Device: tDCS Anode session; Device: tDCS Placebo session; Device: tDCS Cathode session

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03286075

2016-A01258-43

Details and patient eligibility

About

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a key part in emotional processing and regulation.

Emotions continually influence other cognitive functions such as attentional resources .Emotions also influence a subject's automatic physiological responses .

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is an innovative neuro-modulation treatment, often used in major depression.

Various studies have shown that it is possible to modulate emotional processing in healthy subjects, however the impact of this modulation on attentional resources and physiological responses has not been studied. Also, the mechanisms of action of the tDCS on emotional processing are still unclear.

It is necessary to explore the modulation of the DLPFC in healthy subjects in order to better understand the network and mechanisms at stake in the processes.

Thus, investigators plan to study the modulation of the DLPFC (left and right) by tDCS (anode, cathode and placebo) on the processing of emotions and the impact on attentional resources, and physiological responses.

Full description

To study the modulation of the DLPFC (left and right) by tDCS (anode, cathode and placebo) on the processing of emotions and the impact on attentional resources, and physiological responses, subjects will undertake 3 tasks before and after a unique tDCS session of 30 minutes.

The first task is a facial expression recognition task, the second measures the attentional processing of emotional information ("Free-viewing task") and the last task focuses on working memory (digit sorting task).

Each task has its cognitive variables but physiological responses will also be measured during each task before and after the tDCS session (Eye movement, i.e. Pupil dilatation and time spent on region of interest; heart rate, skin conductance and respiratory frequency).

3 arms will take part in the study: Anode tDCS Cathode tDCS Placebo tDCS These 3 types of tDCS stimulation will enable us to study the different modulations possible for the DLPFC and the impact on all the variables previously mentioned.

Enrollment: 2 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Men and women aged between 18 and 65 years
• Written given consent

Exclusion criteria

• Psychiatric disorder
• Refusal from the subject
• Addiction except for tobacco addiction
• Ocular disease (except from refraction disorders), neurologic or cardiac disease.
• Neuroleptic or anticonvulsivant treatment
• presence of a specific contraindication for tDCS (e.g., personal history of epilepsy, metallic head implant, cardiac pacemaker)
• pregnant or breastfeeding women

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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2 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Anode tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

The subjects in this arm will undertake a unique session of tDCS on the DLPFC (anode on the left DLPF). Subjects will receive a 30-minutes session of 2mA tDCS. Facial emotion recognition task and attentional and working memory tasks with measurement of eye-tracking, heart rate, respiratory frequency and skin conductance will be conducted before and after the session.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS Anode session

Cathode tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

The subjects in this arm will undertake a unique session of tDCS on the DLPFC (cathode on the left DLPF). Subjects will receive a 30-minutes session of 2mA tDCS. Facial emotion recognition task and attentional and working memory tasks with measurement of eye-tracking, heart rate, respiratory frequency and skin conductance will be conducted before and after the session.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS Cathode session

Placebo tDCS

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

The subjects in this arm will undertake a unique session of tDCS on the DLPFC (placebo). Subjects will receive a 30-minutes SHAM session of tDCS.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS Placebo session