The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of cerebellar tDCS on impulsivity in healthy adults.
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Other condition
Synonym
Health condition
Fundamenteel onderzoek bij gezonde vrijwilligers
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Impulsivity scores derived from the temporal discounting and Go/No-go task.
Secondary outcome
not applicable
Background summary
Impulsivity plays a prominent role in the understanding and diagnosis of
different psychopathologies, including an entire section of impulse-control
disorders (e.g. kleptomania, intermittent explosive disorder, and pyromania),
addiction, attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD), and personality disorders
(e.g., antisocial and borderline). Impulsivity has a substantial impact on
individuals, their surroundings and the society at large. Although previous
research exploring the neural mechanisms of impulsivity has mainly focused on
the role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the basal ganglia, recent studies
demonstrated a role for the cerebellum in impulsivity. In the current study, we
aim to further elucidate the role of the cerebellum in impulsive behavior. To
this end, we will apply cathodal tDCS over the cerebellum while participants
perform tasks that are designed to measure impulsivity. To our knowledge, no
studies so far have reported on the effects of cerebellar non-invasive brain
stimulation (NBS) on impulsivity.
Study objective
The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of cerebellar
tDCS on impulsivity in healthy adults.
Study design
A randomized controlled double-blind within-subject design. The experiment
consists of two test sessions on two separate days. In the test sessions,
participants will perform a delay discounting task, a Go/No-go task, and a
emotive time perception task. They will also fill out two questionnaires at the
start of the first session. In one of the two test sessions, participants will
receive sham tDCS over the cerebellar cortex, and on the other active tDCS over
the cerebellar cortex. Routine ECG will be recorded. Test sessions will be
randomized and counterbalanced across participants.
Intervention
tDCS will be delivered by a battery-driven constant DC current stimulator
(Eldith DC Stimulator (CE 0118), Ilmenau) using one active electrode over the
medial cerebellum (35 cm²) and one reference electrode over the right deltoid
muscle (25 cm²) in saline-soaked synthetic sponge at an electric current
intensity of 2 mA (peak-to-peak) for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Study burden and risks
The currently proposed tDCS procedure and experiment do not carry any
significant risks. Potential side-effects of tDCS are light tingling, itching
or burning sensations under the electrodes, light headache and/or fatigue.
These are mild discomforts that respond promptly to common analgesics.
Volunteers can withdraw from the study at any given time and there are no
direct benefits for the participants. The novel insights will broaden our
understanding of the brain and may contribute to the feasibility and
development of possible new ways to modulate inhibition using non-invasive
brain modulation.
Montessorilaan 3
Nijmegen 6525 HR
NL
Montessorilaan 3
Nijmegen 6525 HR
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
Between 18-35 years of age years, right-handed, non-smoking, normal or corrected-to-normal vision, Dutch as a native language
Exclusion criteria
Skin disease, metal in cranium, use of psychotropic drugs, including cannabis, XTC, amphetamines and cocaine, epilepsy or family history ofepilepsy, history of closed-head injury, history of neurological or psychiatric disorders, medication use (i.e., benzodiazepines, antidepressants and neuroleptica), cardiac pacemaker, electronic hearing devices, pregnancy.
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL64251.091.17 |