Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the Excitability of the Diaphragmatic Primary Motor Cortex

August 25, 2025 updated by: Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Modulation de l'excitabilité Des Aires Corticales Motrices Primaires Correspondant Aux hémi Diaphragmes à l'Aide de la tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation)

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non invasive, painless, harmless way to modulate cerebral cortex excitability. It was shown that anodal stimulation increases cortical excitability and the cathodal one decreases it (Nitsche and Paulus, 2000; Lang et al. 2004). To date, there is no data in the literature regarding the effect of tDCS on the corticodiaphragmatic pathways. This preliminary study aims to test and validate the modulating effect of tDCS on the excitability of the primary motor cortex dedicated to the hemi-diaphragms in a sample of healthy subjects, as a prelude to further large studies in patients with paretic hemi-diaphragms. Diaphragmatic motor evoked potentials will be assessed before and after applications of three different modalities of tDCS (anodal, cathodal and placebo).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

We therefore expect to observe a significant increase of the mean values of the right hemidiaphragm's MEP's amplitudes after application of anodal tDCS compared to the baseline MEP obtained before this treatment.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • France
    • Île-de-France Region
      • Garches, Île-de-France Region, France, 92380
        • Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris Ile de France Ouest - Hôpital Raymond poincaré

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 35 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Right handed,
  • Healthy male volunteers
  • Aged ≥ 18 and ≤ 35 years
  • No history of neurological or respiratory disease
  • BMI (body mass index < 30)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Female sex
  • Vulnerable people as defined in the provisions relating to biomedical researches and described in the Code of Public Health.
  • Recent or ongoing use of antibiotic drugs, antidepressants or psychotropic drugs.
  • Recent hospitalization (within 3 months).
  • No affiliation to a social security system.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Cathodal tDCS
Device: Eldith DC stimulator ( Magstim Company Ltd. UK)
Anodal tDCS: Intensity of 2 mA , during 10 min Cathodal tDCS: Intensity of 2 mA , during 10 min Placebo type tDCS: Intensity of 0 mA during 10 min
Other Names:
  • Magstim 200 TMS(Magstim Company Ltd.UK)
Active Comparator: Anodal tDCS
Device: Eldith DC stimulator ( Magstim Company Ltd. UK)
Anodal tDCS: Intensity of 2 mA , during 10 min Cathodal tDCS: Intensity of 2 mA , during 10 min Placebo type tDCS: Intensity of 0 mA during 10 min
Other Names:
  • Magstim 200 TMS(Magstim Company Ltd.UK)
Placebo Comparator: Placebo type tDCS
Device: Eldith DC stimulator ( Magstim Company Ltd. UK)
Anodal tDCS: Intensity of 2 mA , during 10 min Cathodal tDCS: Intensity of 2 mA , during 10 min Placebo type tDCS: Intensity of 0 mA during 10 min
Other Names:
  • Magstim 200 TMS(Magstim Company Ltd.UK)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in the right side hemi-diaphragm's motor evoked potentials (MEPs) before and after applications of three different modalities of tDCS (anodal, cathodal and placebo) upon the left primary motor cortex.
Time Frame: Baseline MEPs (before tDCS), Post 0 MEPs (immediately after tDCS) and Post 10 MEPs (10 min after tDCS).
The facilitating effect of tDCS in Anodal stimulation mode (a-tDCS) on the excitability of the left diaphragmatic primary motor cortex would result in a significant increase of the amplitude of the right hemidiaphragm motor evoked potentials (MEPs) (obtained by Transcranial magnetic motor stimulation of the left diaphragmatic primary) after this treatment.
Baseline MEPs (before tDCS), Post 0 MEPs (immediately after tDCS) and Post 10 MEPs (10 min after tDCS).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Eric AZABOU, MD, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
  • Study Director: Fréderic LOFASO, MD, PhD, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 1, 2012

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 1, 2012

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 23, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 5, 2012

First Posted (Estimated)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 8, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 2, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 25, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • C10-52
  • 2011-A00508-33 (Registry Identifier: Numéro IDRCB)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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