Understanding the Neural Mechanisms Behind tDCS
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: brain stimulation.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: tDCS Mechanisms. Basic parameters: 18 years — 40 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Belgium
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Understanding the Neural Mechanisms Behind Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Overview
The aim of the study is to investigate the neural mechanisms underpinning transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique in which a direct current is passed through scalp electrodes. A series of experiments will be conducted to understand and characterize the transcranial and transcutaneous mechanisms of tDCS. To investigate this research question, every participant will undergo three stimulation conditions (active, sham and control). In the control condition, an anaesthetic cream will be applied to anaesthetize the nerves in the scalp. In addition, the effectiveness of tDCS and peripheral nerve stimulation will be compared. Ultimately, the obtained knowledge can lead to the development of improved non-invasive neuromodulation therapies, which can lead to more effective treatments of a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Interventions
- Device brain stimulation
tDCS and peripheral nerve stimulation
Primary outcome measures
- Visual Analogue Scale [Time frame: 30 minutes during stimulation]
- Reaction time [Time frame: 20 minutes during tDCS stimulation]
- Reaction time [Time frame: 20 minutes during peripheral nerve stimulation]
- Amplitudes of event related potentials [Time frame: during tDCS]
- Amplitudes of event related potentials [Time frame: during peripheral nerve stimulation]
- Pupil dilations [Time frame: during peripheral nerve stimulation]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- good general health
Exclusion criteria
- Epilepsy or family history of epilepsy
- Migraine
- Allergic to lidocaine or benzocaine
- Pregnant
- History of or currently suffering from:
- neurological diseases
- psychiatric diseases, depression or anxiety (Annex B and Annex C)
- History of:
- brain surgery
- brain thrombosis
- cerebral hemorrhage
- severe head trauma
- meningitis
- long period of loss of consciousness (> 1 hour)
- Metal parts in the head or upper body:
- Defibrillator, implanted medication pump
- Metal prosthesis in ear, hart, …
- Deep brain stimulator
- Coronary bypass or intracranial or aneurysm clips (brain arteries, aorta, etc.)
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Belgium · 1 center
- KULeuven — Leuven
Publications
- Seminck N, Van Bogaert T, Kilic U, Nuttin B, Mc Laughlin M. External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Evokes Bilateral Electroencephalography Responses and Modulates Spectral Power in Healthy Adults. Neuromodulation. 2026 Jun;29(4):551-562. doi: 10.1016/j.neurom.2025.11.002. Epub 2025 Dec 27. PMID 41454900
- Kerstens S, Orban de Xivry JJ, Mc Laughlin M. A novel tDCS control condition using optimized anesthetic gel to block peripheral nerve input. Front Neurol. 2022 Nov 14;13:1049409. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1049409. eCollection 2022. PMID 36452171
Identifiers
NCT: NCT04577677 · S63709