Healthy ParticipantsNCT07406503
MRI-tDCS Stress and Future Thinking Study
A study testing tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulation in people with Healthy Participants, run by Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
This academic study investigates how MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences stress regulation and episodic future thinking in healthy volunteers. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Participants
- What is being tested?
- tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulation
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2018to 1 Oct 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 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Men and women aged 18-30 years.
- Right-handed, healthy volunteers.
- Native Dutch speakers with normal or corrected vision.
- No current or past psychiatric or neurological disorder.
- MRI-compatible (no metal implants, pacemaker, etc.).
- Not taking psychotropic medication.
- Provided written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Pregnancy.
- History of epilepsy or neurosurgery.
- Cardiovascular, neurological, or severe medical illness.
- Claustrophobia or intolerance to MRI environment.
- Tattoos or piercings that cannot be removed.
- Alcohol or caffeine consumption within the restricted window before scanning.
- Current use of psychoactive substances or psychotropic drugs.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Modulation of the Stressed Brain: Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Stress Regulation and Episodic Future Thinking - an MRI Study in Healthy Volunteers
This academic study investigates how MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences stress regulation and episodic future thinking in healthy volunteers. Participants undergo one MRI session: combining stress induction, tDCS (real or sham), and functional and metabolic MRI measurements. The study aims to better understand how non-invasive brain stimulation affects the neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms involved in stress processing and future-oriented thinking.
Read the detailed description
The purpose of this study is to examine the modulatory effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on cognitive and emotional processes related to stress regulation and episodic future thinking (EFT).
Healthy adult volunteers complete one MRI session. Participants were randomly assigned to active or sham stimulation. First, participants performed an fMRI-based baseline measurement of the EFT task. This task involves imagining specific future personal events in response to cue words presented on a screen and later verbally describing these imagined events outside the scanner.
During the second part, participants complete the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) - a mental arithmetic paradigm with time pressure and negative feedback to induce acute stress. Immediately afterward, they receive MRI-compatible tDCS (active or sham) for 20 minutes while at rest. The active tDCS delivers 2 mA current through a 4×4 cm anode placed over the left DLPFC and a cathode over the contralateral orbitofrontal region. Sham stimulation follows the same setup with current ramping only at the onset and offset.
Following stimulation, an ASL perfusion scan, MRS spectroscopy targeting the hippocampus, and a post-stimulation EFT fMRI task were conducted. Throughout the MRI scan, behavioral and psychometric data were collected, including questionnaires on rumination, personality, and mood, as well as physiological and biochemical measures such as salivary cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV).
The primary goal is to assess whether active tDCS modulates the neural, endocrine, and behavioral correlates of stress and future-oriented cognition compared to sham stimulation.
- Conditions
- Healthy Participants
- Being tested
- tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulation, tDCS - Sham non-invasive brain stimulation
- Keywords
- tDCS, Episodic Future Thinking, Stress Regulation, MRI, fMRI, ASL, Spectroscopy, Cortisol, Mood
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulationDevice
active non-invasive brain stimulation
tDCS - Sham non-invasive brain stimulationDevice
Sham non-invasive brain stimulation
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Active Transcranial direct current stimulation | Active comparator | Participants receive MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) using a constant current of 2 mA applied for 20 minutes. The anodal electrode (4 × 4 cm) is positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3 position, neuronavigated) and the cathodal electrode over the contralateral orbitofrontal region. Stimulation is delivered while participants are in the MRI scanner. Receives: Device: tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulation |
| Sham Transcranial direct current stimulation | Placebo comparator | Participants receive sham MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation using the same electrode placement and setup as the active condition. The current is ramped up and down for approximately 30 seconds at the beginning of the session to mimic the initial sensation of stimulation, after which no current is delivered for the remainder of the 20-minute session. Stimulation is administered while participants are in the MRI scanner. Receives: Device: tDCS - Sham non-invasive brain stimulation |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Specificity score of episodic future thinking
Specificity of episodic future thinking responses assessed using a standardized scoring procedure applied to imagined future events.
Unit of Measure: EFT specificity score (units on a standardized scale)
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings - fatigue
Self-reported tension measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) Unit of Measure:Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more fatigued.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Mean BOLD signal change during episodic future thinking
Mean blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal change during the episodic future thinking task, averaged across predefined prefrontal-limbic regions of interest.
Unit of Measure: Percent signal change (or beta coefficients from the general linear model)
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings -tension
Self-reported tension measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more tensed.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings - vigor
Self-reported vigor measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more vigor.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings - anger
Self-reported anger measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more anger.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings - depressed mood
Self-reported depressed mood measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more depressed mood.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings - cheerfulness
Self-reported cheerfulness measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more cheerfulness.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Momentary mood ratings - stress
Self-reported stress measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS).
Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more stress.
Measured: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Hippocampal glutamate concentration
Hippocampal glutamate concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS).
Unit of Measure: Institutional units
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal GABA concentration
Hippocampal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS).
Unit of Measure: Institutional units
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal glutamine concentration
Hippocampal glutamine concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS).
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration
Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS).
Unit of Measure: Institutional units
Measured: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Secondary outcomes (2)
Salivary cortisol concentration
Salivary cortisol concentration measured using biochemical assay from saliva samples.
Unit of Measure: nmol/L (or µg/dL)
Measured: Baseline, immediately post-tDCS, and immediately post-EFT task (single study visit)
Cerebral blood flow
Cerebral blood flow measured using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI. Unit of Measure: mL/100 g/min
Measured: Baseline and Periprocedural (during tDCS)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted12 Feb 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2018
- Primary completion1 Sep 2018
- Study completion1 Oct 2021
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Healthy ParticipantsStudies 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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sara De Witte, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07406503
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- tDCS FTS
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 26 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 12 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- 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 12 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Modulation of the Stressed Brain: Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Stress Regulation and Episodic Future Thinking - an MRI Study in Healthy Volunteers
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07406503
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- tDCS FTS
- Conditions
- Healthy Participants
- Keywords
- tDCS, Episodic Future Thinking, Stress Regulation, MRI, fMRI, ASL, Spectroscopy, Cortisol
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universitair Ziekenhuis BrusselUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2018 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Sep 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Oct 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 12 Feb 2026 (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.
This academic study investigates how MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences stress regulation and episodic future thinking in healthy volunteers. Participants undergo one MRI session: combining stress induction, tDCS (real or sham), and functional and metabolic MRI measurements. The study aims to better understand how non-invasive brain stimulation affects the neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms involved in stress processing and future-oriented thinking.
Detailed description
The purpose of this study is to examine the modulatory effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on cognitive and emotional processes related to stress regulation and episodic future thinking (EFT).
Healthy adult volunteers complete one MRI session. Participants were randomly assigned to active or sham stimulation. First, participants performed an fMRI-based baseline measurement of the EFT task. This task involves imagining specific future personal events in response to cue words presented on a screen and later verbally describing these imagined events outside the scanner.
During the second part, participants complete the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) - a mental arithmetic paradigm with time pressure and negative feedback to induce acute stress. Immediately afterward, they receive MRI-compatible tDCS (active or sham) for 20 minutes while at rest. The active tDCS delivers 2 mA current through a 4×4 cm anode placed over the left DLPFC and a cathode over the contralateral orbitofrontal region. Sham stimulation follows the same setup with current ramping only at the onset and offset.
Following stimulation, an ASL perfusion scan, MRS spectroscopy targeting the hippocampus, and a post-stimulation EFT fMRI task were conducted. Throughout the MRI scan, behavioral and psychometric data were collected, including questionnaires on rumination, personality, and mood, as well as physiological and biochemical measures such as salivary cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV).
The primary goal is to assess whether active tDCS modulates the neural, endocrine, and behavioral correlates of stress and future-oriented cognition compared to sham stimulation.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Active Transcranial direct current stimulation | Active comparator | Device: tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulationParticipants receive MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) using a constant current of 2 mA applied for 20 minutes. The anodal electrode (4 × 4 cm) is positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3 position, neuronavigated) and the cathodal electrode over the contralateral orbitofrontal region. Stimulation is delivered while participants are in the MRI scanner. |
| Sham Transcranial direct current stimulation | Placebo comparator | Device: tDCS - Sham non-invasive brain stimulationParticipants receive sham MRI-compatible transcranial direct current stimulation using the same electrode placement and setup as the active condition. The current is ramped up and down for approximately 30 seconds at the beginning of the session to mimic the initial sensation of stimulation, after which no current is delivered for the remainder of the 20-minute session. Stimulation is administered while participants are in the MRI scanner. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Men and women aged 18-30 years.
- Right-handed, healthy volunteers.
- Native Dutch speakers with normal or corrected vision.
- No current or past psychiatric or neurological disorder.
- MRI-compatible (no metal implants, pacemaker, etc.).
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Pregnancy.
- History of epilepsy or neurosurgery.
- Cardiovascular, neurological, or severe medical illness.
- Claustrophobia or intolerance to MRI environment.
- Tattoos or piercings that cannot be removed.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulationactive non-invasive brain stimulation | Device | Active Transcranial direct current stimulation |
| tDCS - Sham non-invasive brain stimulationSham non-invasive brain stimulation | Device | Sham Transcranial direct current stimulation |
Primary outcome
Specificity score of episodic future thinking
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Specificity of episodic future thinking responses assessed using a standardized scoring procedure applied to imagined future events. Unit of Measure: EFT specificity score (units on a standardized scale)
Momentary mood ratings - fatigue
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported tension measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) Unit of Measure:Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more fatigued.
Mean BOLD signal change during episodic future thinking
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Mean blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal change during the episodic future thinking task, averaged across predefined prefrontal-limbic regions of interest. Unit of Measure: Percent signal change (or beta coefficients from the general linear model)
Momentary mood ratings -tension
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported tension measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more tensed.
Momentary mood ratings - vigor
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported vigor measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more vigor.
Momentary mood ratings - anger
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported anger measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more anger.
Momentary mood ratings - depressed mood
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported depressed mood measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more depressed mood.
Momentary mood ratings - cheerfulness
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported cheerfulness measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more cheerfulness.
Momentary mood ratings - stress
Time frame: Baseline; immediately post-tDCS; and immediately post-EFT paradigm (single study visit)
Self-reported stress measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Unit of Measure: Score on a 0-10 scale. A higher score means more stress.
Hippocampal glutamate concentration
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal glutamate concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). Unit of Measure: Institutional units
Hippocampal GABA concentration
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). Unit of Measure: Institutional units
Hippocampal glutamine concentration
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal glutamine concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS).
Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration
Time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)
Hippocampal N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS). Unit of Measure: Institutional units
2 secondary outcomes
Salivary cortisol concentration
Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-tDCS, and immediately post-EFT task (single study visit)
Cerebral blood flow
Time frame: Baseline and Periprocedural (during tDCS)
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 12 Feb 2026.
- 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. 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 tDCS - Active non-invasive brain stimulation in people with Healthy Participants, run by Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
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 7 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Feb 2026. 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 Belgium. 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?
Specificity score of episodic future thinking (time frame: Baseline and immediately post-tDCS (single study visit)). The study lists 13 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 12 Feb 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 31 Oct 2026.