Recruiting

tDCS & Cognitive Training

Sponsor:

Dr. Najat Khalifa

Code:

NCT03886025

Conditions

Impulsivity

Decision Making

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 40

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Cognitive training

Sham transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Study Details

Brief summary:

This study aims to (i) assess the effects of combined tDCS and cognitive training on decision-making on a trained task (Iowa Gambling Task; IGT); and (ii) test generalization to a closely related cognitive domain, namely motor impulsivity. It is hypothesized that combined anodal tDCS and cognitive training will result in more advantageous decisions and better impulse control than combined sham tDCS and cognitive training.

Conditions

Impulsivity

Decision Making

Study ID

NCT03886025

Start date

Sep 15, 2022

Status verified date

Aug, 2025

Completion date

Dec 30, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 30, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 40

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Consenting volunteers aged between 18 and 40.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals with epilepsy, other neurological conditions and history of significant head injury will be excluded.
  • Individuals with a history of substance misuse, major mental disorder and those receiving psychotropic medication will be also excluded.

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Combined anodal tDCS and cognitive training

Combined anodal tDCS and cognitive training. Anodal tDCS will be delivered while the participant is completing the cognitive training task (Iowa Gambling Task). Anodal tDCS will use a constant current of 2mA, delivered via gradual increase and decrease over 10 seconds at the onset and offset of stimulation (current ramps), respectively. The duration of each tDCS session will be 20 minutes.

sham comparator: Combined sham tDCS and cognitive training

Combined sham tDCS and cognitive training. Sham tDCS will be delivered while the participant is completing the cognitive training task (Iowa Gambling Task). For sham tDCS, the current will be delivered only in the first 10 seconds, after which the stimulation will cease but with the electrodes still in place throughout the session. The duration of each tDCS session will be 20 minutes.

Interventions

Anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Non-invasive brain stimulation

Cognitive training

Iowa Gambling Task will be used for cognitive training

Sham transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Non-invasive brain stimulation

Primary outcome measure

  • Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) net scores [ Time Frame: Change from baseline after 20 minutes of combined cognitive training and tDCS stimulation ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Najat Khalifa, MD, FRCPC

6135444900nrk2@queensu.ca

Tariq Hassan, FRCPSC

6135444900hassant@providencecare.ca

Locations

Queen's University

Recruiting

Kingston, Ontario, Canada, K7L7X3

Contacts

Najat Khalifa, MD, FRCPC

6135444900nrk2@queensu.ca

Tariq Hassan, FRCPSC

6135444900hassant@providencecare.ca

Principal Investigator:

Najat Khalifa, MD, FRCPC

More Information

Sponsor

Dr. Najat Khalifa

Last update posted

Aug 8, 2025

Last verified

Aug, 2025

Keywords

  • transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
  • Decision-making
  • Implusivity
  • Brain stimulation

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Dr. Najat Khalifa on 2025-08-08.