Using Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial Current Stimulation (tCS) to Study and Modulate Cognition Study

University of Oxford

Status: Completed

Conditions: Inter-individual Variability

Treatments: Device: Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03293316

C2-2014-033

Details and patient eligibility

About

Inter-individual variability in responsiveness to interventions poses great challenges for translational neuroscience, and health care in general. The investigations sought to examine the potential for high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to modulate sustained attention in a manner that was informed by individual differences in EEG indices.

Full description

Inter-individual variability in responsiveness to interventions poses great challenges for translational neuroscience, and health care in general. Reliable and cost- effective screening procedures that can identify individuals who are more likely to benefit from an intervention could have substantial real-world benefits. Here, the investigators sought to examine the potential for high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to modulate sustained attention in a manner that was informed by individual differences in a well-studied electrocortical marker, spontaneous theta/beta ratio. The investigators hypothesized that individuals with relatively high theta/beta ratios, putatively reflecting suboptimal cortical arousal, would be more likely to benefit from the gains in cortical excitability afforded by tRNS. Seventy-two young healthy adults were administered 1mA, 2mA and sham tRNS in a double-blind, randomised, cross-over manner, while they performed a continuous monitoring paradigm. Electroencephalography was acquired before and after each stimulation condition.

This approach may constitute a feasible means of using individual differences in neurophysiology to inform predictions about outcomes from targeted cognitive interventions.

Enrollment: 72 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18-35 years

Exclusion criteria

• Left-handedness
• Visual impairment
• History of fainting,
• History of neurological or psychiatric illness,
• Neurological insult
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Reporting current use of anti- psychotic or anti-depressant medications

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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72 participants in 3 patient groups

Sham Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

Sham Comparator group

Description:

The sham tRNS condition involves 30 seconds of 1.5 mA tRNS, with a ramping period of 30 seconds at the onset and offset. This procedure ensures that, in both the Active and Sham conditions, participants experience the sensations associated with the onset of transcranial electrical stimulation (e.g., tingling sensation)

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

1mA Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

The 1mA tRNS condition consists of 1 mA peak-to-peak (-.5 mA to .5 mA) high frequency noise (100-500 Hz), with amplitude values that are normally distributed and have a mean of zero. The stimulation is delivered for 20 minutes, with a ramping period of 30 seconds at the onset and offset.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

2mA Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

The only factor that varies for the 2mA tRNS condition is that the high frequency noise has a peak-to-peak of -1 mA to 1mA as opposed to -.5 mA to .5 mA. Again, the stimulation is delivered for 20 minutes, with a ramping period of 30 seconds at the onset and offset.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation