Traveling-wave Transcranial Electric Stimulation (TravelingTES)

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Working Memory

Treatments: Device: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05399381

STUDY00002876

30064 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will assess the impact of traveling wave transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on working memory performance in adults.

Full description

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can non-invasively alter neuroelectric activity in the brain by applying weak time-varying electric currents via the scalp. Complex patterns of electric brain activity can take the form of traveling waves - spatially coherent brain rhythms that gradually propagate through the neocortex. Traveling waves are crucial for the temporal coordination of informational flow in the brain. Using the novel traveling-wave transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) approach, the investigators will explore the effects of frontal-to-parietal and parietal-to-frontal traveling waves on working memory performance and brain electrophysiology in adults.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 45 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Age between 18 and 45 years old.
2. Confident level of English language.

Exclusion criteria

1. History or evidence of chronic neurological or mental disorder.
2. Metal or electric implant in the head, neck, or chest area.
3. History of head injuries with loss of consciousness.
4. Any acute or chronic medical condition that requires ongoing pharmacological treatment.
5. Pregnancy or breast-feeding.
6. Alcohol or drug addiction.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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30 participants in 4 patient groups

Frontoparietal Slow Theta Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive multi-electrode transcranial alternating current stimulation over the prefrontal and parietal brain regions that induces frontal-to-parietal traveling wave at the frequency of 4 Hz with the intensity of up to 2 mA and duration up to 20 min.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Frontoparietal Fast Theta Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive multi-electrode transcranial alternating current stimulation over the prefrontal and parietal brain regions that induces frontal-to-parietal traveling wave at the frequency of 7 Hz with the intensity of up to 2 mA and duration up to 20 min.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Parietofrontal Slow Theta Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive multi-electrode transcranial alternating current stimulation over the prefrontal and parietal brain regions that induces parietal-to-frontal traveling wave at the frequency of 4 Hz with the intensity of up to 2 mA and duration up to 20 min.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Parietofrontal Fast Theta Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will receive multi-electrode transcranial alternating current stimulation over the prefrontal and parietal brain regions that induces parietal-to-frontal traveling wave at the frequency of 7 Hz with the intensity of up to 2 mA and duration up to 20 min.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)