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CompletedNCT04551118Updated Sep 16, 2020

Efficacy of Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) on Emotion Processing

An interventional study of Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) -active and Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-active in Healthy, sponsored by Tianjin Anding Hospital. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 35 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-09-16.

Sponsored by Tianjin Anding Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 1 year 2 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jul 2019, registered Sep 2020).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
102
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 35 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) on emotion processing of healthy participants. Meanwhile, the investigators evaluate the effect of tES on electroencephalography (EEG) of both resting and task-related signal. The hypothesis of this study is that tES can improve the cognitive function of emotion by modulating brain activity.

Read the detailed description

This is a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled study using transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) for 7-day treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) group, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) group or sham-control group. Active tES comprised 20 min sessions of 1.5 mA peak-to-peak current delivered over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for 7 consecutive days. Sham group was administered similarly, but with current turned off after 30s. Apart from studying the effects of tES on physiology signals, subjective scale assessments and behavioral data are performed before and after the treatment.

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy

Keywords

  • transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES)
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Tianjin Anding Hospital is the lead sponsor of 23 studies on the registry; 9 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 35 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • age between 18 and 35 years
  • with normal or corrected to normal vision
  • participant or guardian need to sign informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • reported neurological or psychiatric disorders
  • history of any form of transcranial electrical stimulation experience
  • use of mood stabilizer
  • history of substance abuse or dependence
  • severe somatic diseases that might interfere with regular antidepressant treatment including conditions such as kidney and liver failure, uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and pulmonary disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, epilepsy and asthma
  • use of anti-inflammatory medication for longer than 7 days in the last two months preceding the trial
  • use of immunosuppressive medication such as oral steroid hormones women in pregnancy or lactation period
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
102 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    tACS group

    Participants receive 20 min sessions of 1.5 mA alternating current delivered over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for 7 consecutive days.

    Device: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) -active

  • Experimental
    tDCS group

    Participants receive 20 min sessions of 1.5 mA direct current delivered over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for 7 consecutive days.

    Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-active

  • Sham comparator
    Sham group

    Participants receive sham stimulation that administered similarly, but with current continued less than 30s.

    Device: Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES)-sham

Interventions

  • DeviceTranscranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) -active

    Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique of the brain with an AC micro-electrical stimulator, two rubber electrodes in saline-soaked sponges, and a control software to set the output of the stimulation type. Participants receive 20 min sessions of 1.5 mA alternating current delivered over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for 7 consecutive days.

    Also known as: tACS active

  • DeviceTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)-active

    Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non- invasive neuromodulation technique of the brain with a DC micro-electrical stimulator, two rubber electrodes in saline-soaked sponges, and a control software to set the output of the stimulation type. Participants receive 20 min sessions of 1.5 mA direct current delivered over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, for 7 consecutive days.

    Also known as: tDCS active

  • DeviceTranscranial electrical stimulation (TES)-sham

    Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique of the brain with micro-electrical stimulator, two rubber electrodes in saline-soaked sponges, and a control software to set the output of the stimulation type. Participants receive sham stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with current turned off after 30 second. The session last 20 min for 7 consecutive days.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The change of event-related potentials (ERPs) before and after stimulation.

    The aim is to explore whether tES have a regulation effect on emotion processing of dynamic course. In the task, participants need to concentrate on the emotional picture with positive, negative and neutral faces. Then, different ERP components elicited by positive, negative and neutral faces using the signals recorded during facial emotion identification task. The investigators will analyze the ERP components change before and after stimulation to access tES effect on emotion processing.

    Time frame: Day1, Day7

  2. The change of resting EEG power and lateralization index before and after stimulation.

    The aim is to explore whether tES have a regulation effect at-risk of frequency domain. In the resting task, 8 mins resting EEG will be recorded. During recording, participants need to remain still and relaxed with their eyes open (O) and closed (C) in two alternating orders. In order to access tES effect on resting EEG, spectral analysis will be executed after the experiment. Analysis in frequency domain also contributed to expound the brain mechanism related cerebral cortex in emotion processing. In specific, EEG power of delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma band would be calculated after recording. Besides, the EEG lateralization index also be analyzed between left and right brain.

    Time frame: Day1, Day7

Secondary outcomes

  1. The change of scores in subjective scale measurement of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory from pre- to post-stimulation.

    The main objective is to explore whether tES has an effect on subjective scale after stimulation. The scales include State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The STAI is a brief self-report assessment for trait anxiety and state measurement. The scales contain two 20-item pools of emotional state and personality trait, each item rated on a 4-point intensity scale ranging from not at all to very much so or from never to almost always respectively. DERS, on the other hand, is also a self-report measure function to assess the emotion regulation.

    Time frame: Day1, Day7

  2. The change of scores in subjective scale measurement of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) from pre- to post-stimulation.

    The main objective is to explore whether tES has an effect on subjective scale after stimulation. Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), which is also a self-report measure function to assess the emotion regulation.

    Time frame: Day1, Day7

  3. The change of behavioral data from pre- to post-stimulation.

    The aim is to explore whether tES have a regulation effect on emotion identification task. During the task, participants need to respond as quickly as probable to emotional stimuli by pressing the space bar. Reaction time and accuracy from the facial emotion identification task pre- and post-stimulation would be recorded. After the experiment, the investigators will access the stimulation effect on their behavioral data change.

    Time frame: Day1, Day7

  4. Adverse events from baseline to Day1.

    The aim is to evaluate the adverse effects during the stimulation.

    Time frame: Day2, Day3, Day4, Day5, Day6, Day7

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Tianjin Anding Hospital
    Tianjin, Tianjin 300222, China
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 16, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04551118
Lead sponsor
Tianjin Anding Hospital
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Sep 16, 2020
Start date
Jul 1, 2019
Primary completion
Aug 20, 2020
Completion
Sep 1, 2020
Last update
Sep 16, 2020

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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