Exploring the Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Decision-Making

Summary

The goal of this study is to examine whether high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) can influence decision-making for emotionally valenced content in younger and older adults, with or without major depression.

The main questions are:

In healthy adults, does brain stimulation modulate how people respond to emotionally valenced content during a decision-making task? What happens in the brain during modulation? Do these effects differ between younger and older adults?

In adults with depression, does brain stimulation help shift attention towards positive content during the task? What happens in the brain? Are these effects moderated by age (younger vs. older adults)?

The investigators will compare participants who receive real stimulation to those who receive sham (placebo) stimulation.

Participants will:

Receive high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)

Perform a decision-making task involving emotionally valenced words

Complete the task while undergoing a brain scan using ultra-high field 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain activity

Conditions

• Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder
• Healthy Volunteer
• Aging

Interventions

DEVICE

Active high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) - anodal F3/F4

Participants receive anodal HD-tDCS targeting the left or right DLPFC (F3/F4).

DEVICE

Sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) - anodal F3/F4

Participants receive sham HD-tDCS targeting the left or right DLPFC (F3/F4). The device mimics the sensation of stimulation without delivering active current.

DEVICE

Active high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) - anodal F3/ kathodal F4

Participants receive anodal HD-tDCS targeting the left DLPFC (F3) and cathodal stimulation targeting the right DLPFC (F4).

DEVICE

Sham high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) - anodal F3/ kathodal F4

Participants receive sham HD-tDCS targeting the left DLPFC (F3) and right DLPFC (F4). The device mimics the sensation of stimulation without delivering active current.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• ki:elements

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of Bern

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Jessica Peter, PhD · University of Bern

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-03-04

Primary Completion

2027-07-31

Completion

2027-10-31

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations