Clinical trial NCT03286075: Impact of tDCS on Emotional Processing in Healthy Subjects.
Official title: Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Emotional Processing in Healthy Subjects.
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: TERMINATED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Keywords: DLPFC, tDCS, emotional processing
Lead sponsor: Hôpital le Vinatier
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2017-09-18
Enrollment: 2
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: 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
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: 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.

Detailed 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.

Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: Performance on a facial expression recognition task
timeFrame: Change from baseline on a facial expression recognition task at one day
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Performance on a task measuring the attentional processing of emotional information
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Performance on a task measuring working memory
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Eye movements during facial emotion recognition task, attentional task and working memory task
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Skin conductance during facial emotion recognition task, attentional task and working memory task
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Heart Rate during facial emotion recognition task, attentional task and working memory task
timeFrame: baseline
measure: Respiratory frequency during facial emotion recognition task, attentional task and working memory task
timeFrame: baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Lyon
country: France
facility: Ch Le Vinatier
state: Rhone Alpes
Study officials:
affiliation: Vinatier Hospital
name: HAESEBAERT FREDERIC, PH
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: