Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)NCT06991764
Investigating the Effectiveness of a 2-week Novel Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Technique on Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Adults
A study of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Ageing, run by Nanyang Technological University.
Trial summary
The goal of this randomised controlled trial is to investigate the effects of a 2-week high-frequency transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) on cognitive outcomes in older and healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Ageing, Executive Functioning
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2025to 30 Apr 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 21 to 75 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male and female young (21 to 30 years) and older adults (60 to 75 years)
- Right-handed
- Must be a native English speaker
- No clinical diagnosis of neurodevelopmental, mood, neurological or neurodegenerative disorders
- Adults with cardiometabolic or cardiovascular conditions may participate if their condition is controlled and stable with medication and / or lifestyle interventions
Who cannot join
- Currently on long-term medication for pain or migraines / headaches
- Adults with metallic implants in the chest or head region
- Adults with epilepsy, or known seizure or immediate family members that have had a seizure before
- Had a recent head injury that resulted in a temporary loss of consciousness or of memory in the last 12 months
- Had prior head surgery
- Prone to fainting
- Sensitive skin or prone to skin allergies
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Investigating the Effectiveness of a 2-week High-frequency Transcranial Pulsed-current Stimulation on Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Adults: A Randomised, Double Blinded, Sham-controlled Study
The goal of this randomised controlled trial is to investigate the effects of a 2-week high-frequency transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) on cognitive outcomes in older and healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Would a single session of anodal tPCS over the left prefrontal cortex improve working memory, task inhibition, and task switching in healthy young and older adults, compared to anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and sham-tPCS?
- Would repeated session of anodal-tPCS (2-weeks) lead to improvements in working memory, task inhibition, and task switching in healthy young and older adults, compared to tDCS and sham-tPCS?
- Will tPCS be better tolerated among healthy adults, compared to tDCS?
Read more
Researchers will compare tPCS / tDCS / sham-tPCS to see if there are any differences in cognitive outcomes after 1 session and after repeated sessions, as well as to compare the tolerance of tPCS against tDCS and sham-tPCS.
Participants will be requested to:
- Undergo 1 of 3 of the following conditions: tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS
- Complete three sessions of cognitive tasks testing working memory, inhibition and task switching at baseline (pre-stimulation), after day 1 of brain stimulation and after 10 sessions of brain stimulation (post- repeated stimulation)
- Undergo fNIRS-EEG brain measurements concurrently with the cognitive tasks
Read the detailed description
tPCS / tDCS and sham-tPCS will be administered between 0.6 to 0.7 mA for 20 minutes. This will take place over 10 consecutive sessions, with a 2 day break between days 5 and 6 of brain stimulation. The setup of the stimulation consists of a saline-soaked sponge anode electrode placed over the left forehead area over the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, and the cathode will be placed over the right parietal cortex. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions and this will be blinded to both the participants and the researcher (double-blinded).
Cognitive tasks will be administered at baseline, after 1 session of stimulation and after 10 sessions of stimulation (post-stimulation). These cognitive tasks consist of a working memory task (1/2/3 back tasks), a cognitive inhibition task (go/no-go task) and a cognitive flexibility task (Stroop task). Concurrent with the cognitive task will be the administration of fNIRS-EEG recording to measure changes in brain activation and patterns during the tasks.
The experiment will take place in the Motor Behaviour Lab at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
- Conditions
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Ageing, Executive Functioning, Transcranial Electric Stimulation
- Being tested
- Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS)
- Keywords
- Randomised Controlled Trial, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Executive Functioning, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation, Healthy Adults, Ageing
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS)Device
This is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique that we hope to be investigating, and this technique will be compared with an active control (tDCS) and a control (sham-tPCS).
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) | Active comparator | In this condition, current intensity will be maintained between 0.6 to 0.7 mA for 20 minutes. Receives: Device: Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS) |
| High Frequency Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (HF-tPCS) | Experimental | In this condition, current will be introduced in pulses with intensity consistent between 0.6 to 0.7 mA. The duration of the stimulation is 20 minutes. Receives: Device: Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS) |
| Sham-tPCS | Sham comparator | In this condition, there will be a 30 seconds ramp-up phase to a current intensity between 0.6 to 0.7 mA followed by a 30 seconds ramp-down phase to 0 mA. The participant will, however, remain seated with the set-up for the remaining time until 20 minutes is up. Receives: Device: Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Executive Functioning
Working memory through 1-, 2- and 3-back tasks performance Behavioural inhibitory control through Go / No-Go task performance Cognitive flexibility through Stroop task performance
Measured: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation
Task-based activation and functional connectivity during executive functioning tasks
Measuring changes in hemodynamic (oxyhaemoglobin) responses in the brain using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)
Measured: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation
Neural function associated with executive functioning tasks
Measuring neural activity using electroencephaogram (EEG) whereby traditional EEG bands (e.g. Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta) will be assessed.
Measured: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation
Secondary outcomes (1)
Tolerance of tPCS (intervention)
Questionnaires on participants' well-being after stimulation sessions [adapted and modified from Antal et al. (2017)]. The participants will rate their symptoms / discomfort as follows: none, mild, moderate, or strong and state the extent to which the symptoms / discomfort is / are affecting their general state from a scale of 'Not at all' to 'Very much'.
Measured: Immediately after the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 May 2025
- Study start1 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)Studies 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
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions.
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Nanyang Technological University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Ministry of Education, Singapore, National Institute of Education, Singapore
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Teo Wei Peng, Nanyang Technological University
- Investigators
- Wei Peng Teo, Associate Professor, Principal investigator, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06991764
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-2025-003
- Status last verified
- May 2025
- First submitted
- 11 Apr 2025
- Last updated
- 28 May 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating the Effectiveness of a 2-week High-frequency Transcranial Pulsed-current Stimulation on Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Adults: A Randomised, Double Blinded, Sham-controlled Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06991764
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB-2025-003
- Conditions
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Ageing, Executive Functioning, Transcranial Electric Stimulation
- Keywords
- Randomised Controlled Trial, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation, Executive Functioning, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation, Healthy Adults, Ageing
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Nanyang Technological UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Ministry of Education, Singapore, National Institute of Education, Singapore
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2025 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 May 2025 (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 goal of this randomised controlled trial is to investigate the effects of a 2-week high-frequency transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) on cognitive outcomes in older and healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Would a single session of anodal tPCS over the left prefrontal cortex improve working memory, task inhibition, and task switching in healthy young and older adults, compared to anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and sham-tPCS?
- Would repeated session of anodal-tPCS (2-weeks) lead to improvements in working memory, task inhibition, and task switching in healthy young and older adults, compared to tDCS and sham-tPCS?
- Will tPCS be better tolerated among healthy adults, compared to tDCS?
Researchers will compare tPCS / tDCS / sham-tPCS to see if there are any differences in cognitive outcomes after 1 session and after repeated sessions, as well as to compare the tolerance of tPCS against tDCS and sham-tPCS.
Participants will be requested to:
- Undergo 1 of 3 of the following conditions: tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS
- Complete three sessions of cognitive tasks testing working memory, inhibition and task switching at baseline (pre-stimulation), after day 1 of brain stimulation and after 10 sessions of brain stimulation (post- repeated stimulation)
- Undergo fNIRS-EEG brain measurements concurrently with the cognitive tasks
Detailed description
tPCS / tDCS and sham-tPCS will be administered between 0.6 to 0.7 mA for 20 minutes. This will take place over 10 consecutive sessions, with a 2 day break between days 5 and 6 of brain stimulation. The setup of the stimulation consists of a saline-soaked sponge anode electrode placed over the left forehead area over the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, and the cathode will be placed over the right parietal cortex. Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions and this will be blinded to both the participants and the researcher (double-blinded).
Cognitive tasks will be administered at baseline, after 1 session of stimulation and after 10 sessions of stimulation (post-stimulation). These cognitive tasks consist of a working memory task (1/2/3 back tasks), a cognitive inhibition task (go/no-go task) and a cognitive flexibility task (Stroop task). Concurrent with the cognitive task will be the administration of fNIRS-EEG recording to measure changes in brain activation and patterns during the tasks.
The experiment will take place in the Motor Behaviour Lab at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) | Active comparator | Device: Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS)In this condition, current intensity will be maintained between 0.6 to 0.7 mA for 20 minutes. |
| High Frequency Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (HF-tPCS) | Experimental | Device: Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS)In this condition, current will be introduced in pulses with intensity consistent between 0.6 to 0.7 mA. The duration of the stimulation is 20 minutes. |
| Sham-tPCS | Sham comparator | Device: Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS)In this condition, there will be a 30 seconds ramp-up phase to a current intensity between 0.6 to 0.7 mA followed by a 30 seconds ramp-down phase to 0 mA. The participant will, however, remain seated with the set-up for the remaining time until 20 minutes is up. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Male and female young (21 to 30 years) and older adults (60 to 75 years)
- Right-handed
- Must be a native English speaker
- No clinical diagnosis of neurodevelopmental, mood, neurological or neurodegenerative disorders
- Adults with cardiometabolic or cardiovascular conditions may participate if their condition is controlled and stable with medication and / or lifestyle interventions
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Currently on long-term medication for pain or migraines / headaches
- Adults with metallic implants in the chest or head region
- Adults with epilepsy, or known seizure or immediate family members that have had a seizure before
- Had a recent head injury that resulted in a temporary loss of consciousness or of memory in the last 12 months
- Had prior head surgery
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS / tPCS / sham-tPCS)This is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique that we hope to be investigating, and this technique will be compared with an active control (tDCS) and a control (sham-tPCS). | Device | High Frequency Transcranial Pulsed Current Stimulation (HF-tPCS), Sham-tPCS, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) |
Primary outcome
Executive Functioning
Time frame: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation
Working memory through 1-, 2- and 3-back tasks performance Behavioural inhibitory control through Go / No-Go task performance Cognitive flexibility through Stroop task performance
Task-based activation and functional connectivity during executive functioning tasks
Time frame: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation
Measuring changes in hemodynamic (oxyhaemoglobin) responses in the brain using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)
Neural function associated with executive functioning tasks
Time frame: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation
Measuring neural activity using electroencephaogram (EEG) whereby traditional EEG bands (e.g. Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta) will be assessed.
1 secondary outcome
Tolerance of tPCS (intervention)
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention
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 28 May 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.
Wei Peng Teo, Associate Professor principal investigator
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Ageing, run by Nanyang Technological University.
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 5 inclusion and 7 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: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
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 Wei Peng Teo, Associate Professor ((+65)67903704, weipeng.teo@nie.edu.sg), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Executive Functioning (time frame: Baseline, after day 1 of stimulation, 3 to 4 days after the 10 sessions of stimulation). The study lists 3 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 28 May 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.