HealthyNCT04885322
Effects of PFC tDCS on Cognitive Control, Attention Lapses and Coordinated Neural Activity in the Theta and Alpha Bands
A study testing Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in people with Healthy, run by University of California, Davis at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to better understand the neural correlates of higher-order cognition, both in the healthy brain and in schizophrenia, and to determine how these mechanisms are modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at frontal and occipital scalp sites. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy
- What is being tested?
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 75 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 14 Apr 2021to 30 Jun 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 50 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- between ages of 18 and 50
- ability to sufficiently speak and understand English so as to be able to understand and complete cognitive tasks
- ability to give valid informed consent
Who cannot join
- no history of head trauma
- no current or previous history of treatment with psychotropic medication
- corrected vision 20/30 or better
- tDCS/MRI contraindications, including: pregnancy, ferrous metal in any part of the body, serious medical conditions, claustrophobia, metallic implants, skin damage, conditions such as eczema at electrode sites, cranial pathologies
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Imaging Research Center
Sacramento, California, 95817
Vanessa Zarubin, BS/BA, 916-734-3749, vczarubin@ucdavis.edu
Cameron Carter, M.D.
About this study
The purpose of this study is to better understand the neural correlates of higher-order cognition, both in the healthy brain and in schizophrenia, and to determine how these mechanisms are modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at frontal and occipital scalp sites. Testing the effects of tDCS at these scalp sites on cognitive task performance will help us understand the roles of the brain regions corresponding to these sites during higher-order cognitive processing (language comprehension, cognitive control, and related attention and memory processes). Behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) measures will be used to assess cognitive performance. Our overarching hypothesis is that stimulating prefrontal circuits with tDCS can improve cognitive control performance, and ultimately performance on a range of cognitive tasks, as compared to stimulating a different cortical region (occipital cortex) or using sham stimulation.
This study is solely intended as basic research in order to understand brain function in healthy individuals and individuals with schizophrenia. This study is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat schizophrenia or any other disease.
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Being tested
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Transcranial Direct Current StimulationDevice
In tDCS, saline-soaked electrodes are temporary affixed to the scalp and connected to a battery-powered current generator. A weak (2 mA) constant current is then briefly applied (~20 minutes) to stimulate the targeted brain area. The targeted brain area is determined by the Study Arm.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| DLPFC Stimulation | Experimental | Intervention. 20 minutes of 2 mA direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Receives: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation |
| Occipital Stimulation | Experimental | Intervention. 20 minutes of 2 mA direct current stimulation over the occipital cortex. Receives: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation |
| Sham Stimulation | Sham comparator | Placebo Comparator. 0.5-1 minutes of 2 mA direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex followed by 19-19.5 minutes of sham stimulation Receives: Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task
Incongruent versus Congruent difference in error rate and reaction time
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
EEG Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task
response-locked power in the theta frequency band (4-7 Hz)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Behavioral Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task
Error Rate on Incorrect Congruent trials (Full Lapses) and Slow-but-Correct Congruent trials (Partial Lapses)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task
Pre-trial power in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task
WM storage capacity (k-max)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
EEG Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task
delay period power in the theta frequency band (4-7 Hz)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Behavioral Attention Lapse Measures on the Change Detection Task
Attention factor (a); Guess factor (g)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Change Detection Task
Pre-trial power in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz)
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Delivered tDCS Dose to PFC
Estimated electric field in PFC region of interest
Measured: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 May 2021
- Study start14 Apr 2021
- Primary completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for HealthyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, DavisThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Davis
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04885322
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1344169-8
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 4 May 2021
- Last updated
- 5 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of PFC tDCS on Cognitive Control, Attention Lapses and Coordinated Neural Activity in the Theta and Alpha Bands
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04885322
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1344169-8
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 75 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, DavisUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 14 Apr 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 May 2021 (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 better understand the neural correlates of higher-order cognition, both in the healthy brain and in schizophrenia, and to determine how these mechanisms are modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) at frontal and occipital scalp sites. Testing the effects of tDCS at these scalp sites on cognitive task performance will help us understand the roles of the brain regions corresponding to these sites during higher-order cognitive processing (language comprehension, cognitive control, and related attention and memory processes). Behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) measures will be used to assess cognitive performance. Our overarching hypothesis is that stimulating prefrontal circuits with tDCS can improve cognitive control performance, and ultimately performance on a range of cognitive tasks, as compared to stimulating a different cortical region (occipital cortex) or using sham stimulation.
This study is solely intended as basic research in order to understand brain function in healthy individuals and individuals with schizophrenia. This study is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat schizophrenia or any other disease.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| DLPFC Stimulation | Experimental | Device: Transcranial Direct Current StimulationIntervention. 20 minutes of 2 mA direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. |
| Occipital Stimulation | Experimental | Device: Transcranial Direct Current StimulationIntervention. 20 minutes of 2 mA direct current stimulation over the occipital cortex. |
| Sham Stimulation | Sham comparator | Device: Transcranial Direct Current StimulationPlacebo Comparator. 0.5-1 minutes of 2 mA direct current stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex followed by 19-19.5 minutes of sham stimulation |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- between ages of 18 and 50
- ability to sufficiently speak and understand English so as to be able to understand and complete cognitive tasks
- ability to give valid informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- no history of head trauma
- no current or previous history of treatment with psychotropic medication
- corrected vision 20/30 or better
- tDCS/MRI contraindications, including: pregnancy, ferrous metal in any part of the body, serious medical conditions, claustrophobia, metallic implants, skin damage, conditions such as eczema at electrode sites, cranial pathologies
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Direct Current StimulationIn tDCS, saline-soaked electrodes are temporary affixed to the scalp and connected to a battery-powered current generator. A weak (2 mA) constant current is then briefly applied (~20 minutes) to stimulate the targeted brain area. The targeted brain area is determined by the Study Arm. | Device | DLPFC Stimulation, Occipital Stimulation, Sham Stimulation |
Primary outcome
Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Incongruent versus Congruent difference in error rate and reaction time
EEG Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
response-locked power in the theta frequency band (4-7 Hz)
Behavioral Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Error Rate on Incorrect Congruent trials (Full Lapses) and Slow-but-Correct Congruent trials (Partial Lapses)
EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Stroop Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Pre-trial power in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz)
Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
WM storage capacity (k-max)
EEG Cognitive Control Measures on the Change Detection Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
delay period power in the theta frequency band (4-7 Hz)
Behavioral Attention Lapse Measures on the Change Detection Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Attention factor (a); Guess factor (g)
EEG Attention Lapse Measures on the Change Detection Task
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Pre-trial power in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz)
Delivered tDCS Dose to PFC
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Estimated electric field in PFC region of interest
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in people with Healthy, run by University of California, Davis 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 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Dec 2025. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Minhtrang Chu (1-916-734-1482, mihchu@ucdavis.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Behavioral Cognitive Control Measures on the Stroop Task (time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month). The study lists 9 primary outcomes in all. 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 5 Dec 2025.