Modulating Impulsivity in Suicidal Adolescents With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Summary

As a first step toward investigating whether modulation of impulsivity and associated neural pathways may yield clinically meaningful changes in risk for adolescent suicidal behavior, the R21 is a proof-of concept study evaluating the potential for tDCS targeting brain regions associated with behavioral impulsivity (right inferior frontal gyrus \[rIFG\]) and cognitive impulsivity (left orbitofrontal cortex \[lOFC\]) to modulate these facets of impulsivity in a sample of adolescent suicide attempters. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive anodal tDCS over the rIFG, anodal tDCS over the lOFC, or a sham stimulation condition, in a three-group design. Task-based measures of behavioral and cognitive impulsivity will be administered before and after tDCS or sham stimulation. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) data will be collected during the impulsivity tasks, and resting-state EEG data will be collected pre- and post-tDCS administration to confirm engagement of the targeted brain regions and to delineating the neural pathways underlying the effects of tDCS on impulsivity.

Conditions

• Impulsive Behavior

Interventions

DEVICE

anodal tDCS over the rIFG,

tDCS at a constant current of 1.5 milliampere (mA) will be applied for one 20-minute session over the right inferior frontal gyrus . Resting-state EEG for 10 minutes will be recorded immediately prior to and after tDCS. After post-tDCS resting state EEG is acquired, EEG is recorded to extract Evoked Response Potentials in a single-blind procedure. The participants and assessors will be blind to experimental condition.

DEVICE

anodal tDCS over the lOFC,

tDCS at a constant current of 1.5 mA will be applied for one 20-minute session over the left orbitofrontal cortex . Resting-state EEG for 10 minutes will be recorded immediately prior to and after tDCS. After post-tDCS resting state EEG is acquired, EEG is recorded to extract Evoked Response Potentials in a single-blind procedure. The participants and assessors will be blind to experimental condition.

DEVICE

sham tDCS stimulation condition

In the sham condition, the current will be ramped up to 1.5 mA for 30 seconds and then ramped back down to 0. As this commonly used sham procedure produces a brief tingling sensation, participants are kept unaware of their experimental condition. Resting-state EEG for 10 minutes will be recorded immediately prior to and after the sham tDCS. After post-sham stimulation resting state EEG is acquired, EEG is recorded to extract Evoked Response Potentials in a single-blind procedure. The participants and assessors will be blind to experimental condition.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lifespan

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Richard Liu, PhD · Lifespan

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

17 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-04-01

Primary Completion

2019-12-31

Completion

2019-12-31

FDA Device

Yes

Countries

• United States

Study Locations