Healthy AdultsNCT03055884
Investigating Accelerated Learning in Healthy Subjects
A study testing tDCS and Verbal paired-associate learning task in people with Healthy Adults, run by The University of Texas at Dallas at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects, by (1) applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during a verbal paired-associate learning task and by (2) optimizing the learning method with repeated… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 35 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Adults
- What is being tested?
- tDCS and Verbal paired-associate learning task
- Type of treatment
- Medical device, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 0 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 13 Feb 2017to 22 Dec 2021
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 35 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Age: 18-35 years
- Native English Speaker
Who cannot join
- History of severe head injuries,epileptic insults, or heart disease
- Severe psychiatric disorders and severe untreated medical problems.
- Acquainted with the foreign language used in the learning task
- Contraindications for tDCS (pregnant women, implanted devices)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
The University of Texas of Dallas
Richardson, Texas, 75080
About this study
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects, by (1) applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during a verbal paired-associate learning task and by (2) optimizing the learning method with repeated retrieval practice.
Read the detailed description
Associative memory refers to remembering the association between two items, such as a face and a name or a word in English and the same word in another language. It is not only important for learning, but it is also one of the first aspects of memory performance that is impacted by aging and by Alzheimer׳s disease. For decades, neuroscientists have investigated associative learning and memory and ways to accelerate and enhance associative learning and memory.
Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless electrical stimulation technique that has demonstrated to accelerate learning and improve memory in some studies. Previous research has also emphasized the importance of repeated retrieval practice as a way to accelerate learning and enhance associative memory performance. Therefore, this study will examine the effect of repeated retrieval practice on associative memory performance by using two versions of an associative memory task.
To investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory using tDCS and repeated retrieval practice, the performance in a Verbal Paired-Associate memory task during the first visit and 1 week after will be compared for four study groups. The first group will get active tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice. The second group will get active tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice. The third group will get sham tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice and the fourth group will get Sham tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice.
- Conditions
- Healthy Adults
- Being tested
- tDCS, Verbal paired-associate learning task
- Keywords
- transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), accelerated learning, memory
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
tDCSDevice
active tDCS versus sham tDCS
Verbal paired-associate learning taskBehavioural
with or without repeated retrieval practice
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| active tDCS with repeated retrieval practice | Experimental | active tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice Receives: Device: tDCS; Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task |
| active tDCS without repeated retrieval practice | Experimental | active tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice Receives: Device: tDCS; Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task |
| Sham tDCS with repeated retrieval practice | Sham comparator | sham tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice Receives: Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task |
| Sham tDCS without repeated retrieval practice | Sham comparator | shamtDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice Receives: Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Associative Memory assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate memory test
Changes in performance in the Verbal Paired-Associate memory task is compared between the 4 groups (1. tDCS+verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice, 2. tDCS + verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice, 3. Sham tDCS+verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice, 4. Sham tDCS + verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice) to investigate the influence of tDCS and learning method on Associative Memory
Measured: baseline and 1 week after the tDCS
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Feb 2017
- Study start13 Feb 2017
- Primary completion22 Apr 2020
- Study completion22 Dec 2021 (estimated)
Why it stopped: low numbers of participants
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy AdultsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas at Dallas
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sven Vanneste, The University of Texas at Dallas
- Investigators
- Sven Vanneste, Principal investigator, The University of Texas at Dallas
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03055884
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 17-34
- Status last verified
- Apr 2021
- First submitted
- 14 Feb 2017
- Last updated
- 26 Jan 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Jan 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating Accelerated Learning in Healthy Subjects
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03055884
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 17-34
- Conditions
- Healthy Adults
- Keywords
- transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), accelerated learning, memory
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- WithdrawnReason stopped: low numbers of participants
- Enrolment
- 0 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Texas at DallasUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 13 Feb 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 22 Apr 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 22 Dec 2021 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Feb 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects, by (1) applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during a verbal paired-associate learning task and by (2) optimizing the learning method with repeated retrieval practice.
Detailed description
Associative memory refers to remembering the association between two items, such as a face and a name or a word in English and the same word in another language. It is not only important for learning, but it is also one of the first aspects of memory performance that is impacted by aging and by Alzheimer׳s disease. For decades, neuroscientists have investigated associative learning and memory and ways to accelerate and enhance associative learning and memory.
Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless electrical stimulation technique that has demonstrated to accelerate learning and improve memory in some studies. Previous research has also emphasized the importance of repeated retrieval practice as a way to accelerate learning and enhance associative memory performance. Therefore, this study will examine the effect of repeated retrieval practice on associative memory performance by using two versions of an associative memory task.
To investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory using tDCS and repeated retrieval practice, the performance in a Verbal Paired-Associate memory task during the first visit and 1 week after will be compared for four study groups. The first group will get active tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice. The second group will get active tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice. The third group will get sham tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice and the fourth group will get Sham tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| active tDCS with repeated retrieval practice | Experimental | Device: tDCS, Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning taskactive tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice |
| active tDCS without repeated retrieval practice | Experimental | Device: tDCS, Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning taskactive tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice |
| Sham tDCS with repeated retrieval practice | Sham comparator | Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning tasksham tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice |
| Sham tDCS without repeated retrieval practice | Sham comparator | Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning taskshamtDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 35 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Age: 18-35 years
- Native English Speaker
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- History of severe head injuries,epileptic insults, or heart disease
- Severe psychiatric disorders and severe untreated medical problems.
- Acquainted with the foreign language used in the learning task
- Contraindications for tDCS (pregnant women, implanted devices)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| tDCSactive tDCS versus sham tDCS | Device | active tDCS with repeated retrieval practice, active tDCS without repeated retrieval practice |
| Verbal paired-associate learning taskwith or without repeated retrieval practice | Behavioural | Sham tDCS with repeated retrieval practice, Sham tDCS without repeated retrieval practice, active tDCS with repeated retrieval practice, active tDCS without repeated retrieval practice |
Primary outcome
Associative Memory assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate memory test
Time frame: baseline and 1 week after the tDCS
Changes in performance in the Verbal Paired-Associate memory task is compared between the 4 groups (1. tDCS+verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice, 2. tDCS + verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice, 3. Sham tDCS+verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice, 4. Sham tDCS + verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice) to investigate the influence of tDCS and learning method on Associative Memory
Results and safety
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Jan 2022.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Healthy Volunteers
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sven Vanneste principal investigator
The University of Texas at Dallas
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing tDCS and Verbal paired-associate learning task in people with Healthy Adults, run by The University of Texas at Dallas at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Jan 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Associative Memory assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate memory test (time frame: baseline and 1 week after the tDCS). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Jan 2022; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 3 Nov 2026.