Investigating Memory Retrieval Improvement in Healthy Subjects

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status: Withdrawn

Conditions: Healthy Adults

Treatments: Device: sham tDCS; Device: active anodal tDCS; Device: active cathodal tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03312920

17-132

Details and patient eligibility

About

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

Full description

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 learning can be accelerated and associative memory improved by using tDCS, this study will compare the performance in a Face Name Associate memory task from 3 groups. The first group will get active aodal 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 and the third group will get active cathodal tDCS.

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

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)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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0 participants in 3 patient groups

active anodal tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

active anodal tDCS with Face Name associate Memory task

Treatment:

Device: active anodal tDCS

Sham tDCS

Sham Comparator group

Description:

sham tDCS with Face Name associate Memory task

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS

active cathodal tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

active cathodal tDCS with Face Name associate Memory task

Treatment:

Device: active cathodal tDCS