Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Offenders

Olivia Choy

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aggression; Antisocial Behavior; Risk-Taking

Treatments: Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation; Device: Sham transcranial direct current stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03036683

EK 341/16

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates the effect of upregulating prefrontal cortex activity on risk-taking, and antisocial and aggressive behavior in violent offenders. In the double-blind, randomized controlled trial, using a within-subject crossover design, each participant will undergo anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and sham stimulation. After each stimulation session, neural activity and behavioral responses to tasks assessing risk-taking and aggressive behavior will be recorded. The effect of tDCS on violent offenders will also be assessed in comparison to age and gender-matched healthy controls.

Enrollment: 41 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Between 18 and 50 years of age
• Able to understand the nature of the study and give informed consent
• Individuals in the violent offender group must have a record of repeated violent criminal offending (at least 2 felonies).
• Individuals in the violent offender group must have been convicted solely due to crimes involving violence motivated by impulsive aggression.

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of any contraindications for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• History of significant medical illness
• History of any neurological condition
• Diagnosis of schizophrenia
• History of epilepsy
• Head injury
• Mental retardation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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41 participants in 2 patient groups

Anodal stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the active stimulation group will undergo anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS will be delivered by a battery-driven, constant-current stimulator connected to two saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes. An anodal electrode (25cm2) will be placed over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and one cathodal electrode (100cm2) will be placed over the left supraorbital area at least 5cm from the anode. Scalp electrodes will be positioned according to the 10-20 EEG international system. A current of 2mA will be applied for 20 minutes and the current will be ramped up and down over 20 seconds at the beginning and end of the stimulation period.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation

Sham stimulation

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The sham tDCS condition will involve the same placement of the electrodes, current intensity, and ramp-up/down time as the active tDCS condition, but stimulation will only last for 30 seconds.

Treatment:

Device: Sham transcranial direct current stimulation