Transcranial Direct Current StimulationNCT07063264
Effects of HD-tDCS During Slow-wave Sleep on Associative Memory
A study testing high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in people with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Healthy Adults, run by WANG KAI at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
To evaluate the effects of afternoon naps and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in associative memory (AM) Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Healthy Adults
- What is being tested?
- high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 87 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 12 Jan 2022to 23 Aug 2023
- 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 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- aged 18-30 years
- healthy adults
Who cannot join
- with pacemakers, skull cavities or cracks；
- intolerance of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) adverse reactions；
- left-handed；
- diagnosed with severe mental disorders, or involved in other experiments.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effects of High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation During Slow-wave Sleep on Associative Memory
To evaluate the effects of afternoon naps and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in associative memory (AM)
Read the detailed description
Healthy adults will be randomized into three groups: a sleep with active stimulation (Sleep-A) group will receive active anode HD-tDCS during slow-wave sleep (SWS) of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) at afternoon nap, a sleep with sham stimulation (Sleep-S) group will receive afternoon nap with sham stimulation, and wake with active stimulation (Wake-A) group will receive active anode HD-tDCS during wakefulness. An anode stimulation electrode will be placed in F3 (10/20 system) which intend to target the left DLPFC, and four cathodes will be placed at FCz, AFz, F7, and C5 (10/20 system). The face-word AM task and other multidimensional neuropsychological tasks will be performed before and after afternoon napping.
- Being tested
- high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
- Keywords
- Associative Memory, High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Slow Wave Sleep, DLPFC
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)Device
HD-tDCS is described as a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that uses a low-intensity, direct current applied directly to the head through scalp electrodes
sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)Device
Sham HD-tDCS was delivered using the same protocol and current intensity, but the period of active stimulation was only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 30 and 30 seconds.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| sleep with active stimulation (Sleep-A) | Active comparator | Participants will receive active anode HD-tDCS during slow-wave sleep (SWS) of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) at afternoon nap. An anode stimulation electrode will be placed in F3 (10/20 system) which intended to target the left DLPFC, and four cathodes will be placed at FCz, AFz, F7, and C5 (10/20 system) Receives: Device: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) |
| sleep with sham stimulation (Sleep-S) | Placebo comparator | Participants will receive afternoon nap with sham stimulation. A 30-s rising current until 2 mA is reached, with a 30-s decline immediately at the beginning and end of the stimulation section Receives: Device: sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) |
| wake with active stimulation (Wake-A) | Sham comparator | Participants will receive active anode HD-tDCS during wakefulness. They will receive HD-tDCS stimulation for 25 minutes while awake, then spent free time in the sleep monitoring room, remaining awake throughout the napping period Receives: Device: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
face-word assciative memory task score
In the face-cued word association test, participants viewed 20 grayscale photographs of faces on a computer screen, each shown for 3 seconds. Each photograph was paired with a distinct word, which participants read aloud when shown. Participants were instructed to memorize the word linked to each face. One minute later, participants viewed the same 20 faces in a new random order. They were then asked to recall the associated words. Each face was scored as correct or incorrect, and the total number of correct responses formed the AM score.
Measured: 1 hour after the end of the afternoon nap
Secondary outcomes (1)
Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) score
There are two parts to the test process: learning phase and delayed recall phase. During the learning phase, subjects were asked to listen to a list of words and recall them. During the delayed recall phase, subjects were asked to recall the list of previously learned words again after a period of time. Scoring usually includes recording the number of correct memories the subject has during the learning phase and delayed recall phase, as well as the types of possible errors (such as forgetting, confusion, etc.). Depending on the subject's performance, learning and memory abilities can be assessed. The normal ranges of immediate memory, delayed memory and recognition memory were 10, 8 and 10 respectively. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Measured: 2 hours after the end of afternoon nap
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jul 2025
- Study start12 Jan 2022
- Primary completion20 Feb 2023
- Study completion23 Aug 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Transcranial Direct Current StimulationStudies 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
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 87 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- WANG KAI
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, WANG KAI, Anhui Medical University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07063264
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HD-tDCS-healthy adults
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 3 Jun 2025
- Last updated
- 14 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation During Slow-wave Sleep on Associative Memory
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07063264
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HD-tDCS-healthy adults
- Keywords
- Associative Memory, High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Slow Wave Sleep, DLPFC
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 87 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- WANG KAIUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 12 Jan 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 23 Aug 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Jul 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.
To evaluate the effects of afternoon naps and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in associative memory (AM)
Detailed description
Healthy adults will be randomized into three groups: a sleep with active stimulation (Sleep-A) group will receive active anode HD-tDCS during slow-wave sleep (SWS) of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) at afternoon nap, a sleep with sham stimulation (Sleep-S) group will receive afternoon nap with sham stimulation, and wake with active stimulation (Wake-A) group will receive active anode HD-tDCS during wakefulness. An anode stimulation electrode will be placed in F3 (10/20 system) which intend to target the left DLPFC, and four cathodes will be placed at FCz, AFz, F7, and C5 (10/20 system). The face-word AM task and other multidimensional neuropsychological tasks will be performed before and after afternoon napping.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| sleep with active stimulation (Sleep-A) | Active comparator | Device: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)Participants will receive active anode HD-tDCS during slow-wave sleep (SWS) of non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) at afternoon nap. An anode stimulation electrode will be placed in F3 (10/20 system) which intended to target the left DLPFC, and four cathodes will be placed at FCz, AFz, F7, and C5 (10/20 system) |
| sleep with sham stimulation (Sleep-S) | Placebo comparator | Device: sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)Participants will receive afternoon nap with sham stimulation. A 30-s rising current until 2 mA is reached, with a 30-s decline immediately at the beginning and end of the stimulation section |
| wake with active stimulation (Wake-A) | Sham comparator | Device: high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)Participants will receive active anode HD-tDCS during wakefulness. They will receive HD-tDCS stimulation for 25 minutes while awake, then spent free time in the sleep monitoring room, remaining awake throughout the napping period |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- aged 18-30 years
- healthy adults
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- with pacemakers, skull cavities or cracks；
- intolerance of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) adverse reactions；
- left-handed；
- diagnosed with severe mental disorders, or involved in other experiments.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)HD-tDCS is described as a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that uses a low-intensity, direct current applied directly to the head through scalp electrodes | Device | sleep with active stimulation (Sleep-A), wake with active stimulation (Wake-A) |
| sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)Sham HD-tDCS was delivered using the same protocol and current intensity, but the period of active stimulation was only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 30 and 30 seconds. | Device | sleep with sham stimulation (Sleep-S) |
Primary outcome
face-word assciative memory task score
Time frame: 1 hour after the end of the afternoon nap
In the face-cued word association test, participants viewed 20 grayscale photographs of faces on a computer screen, each shown for 3 seconds. Each photograph was paired with a distinct word, which participants read aloud when shown. Participants were instructed to memorize the word linked to each face. One minute later, participants viewed the same 20 faces in a new random order. They were then asked to recall the associated words. Each face was scored as correct or incorrect, and the total number of correct responses formed the AM score.
1 secondary outcome
Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) score
Time frame: 2 hours after the end of afternoon nap
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jul 2025.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) in people with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Healthy Adults, run by WANG KAI at 1 site in China.
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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jul 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 China. 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 is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
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?
face-word assciative memory task score (time frame: 1 hour after the end of the afternoon nap). 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 14 Jul 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.