Investigating Accelerated Learning in Healthy Subjects

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory performance in healthy subjects, by (1) applying transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during a verbal paired-associate learning task and by (2) optimizing the learning method with repeated retrieval practice.

Study Overview

• Status: Withdrawn
• Conditions: Healthy Adults
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: tDCS; Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task

Detailed Description

Associative memory refers to remembering the association between two items, such as a face and a name or a word in English and the same word in another language. It is not only important for learning, but it is also one of the first aspects of memory performance that is impacted by aging and by Alzheimer׳s disease. For decades, neuroscientists have investigated associative learning and memory and ways to accelerate and enhance associative learning and memory.

Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless electrical stimulation technique that has demonstrated to accelerate learning and improve memory in some studies. Previous research has also emphasized the importance of repeated retrieval practice as a way to accelerate learning and enhance associative memory performance. Therefore, this study will examine the effect of repeated retrieval practice on associative memory performance by using two versions of an associative memory task.

To investigate whether it is possible to accelerate learning and improve associative memory using tDCS and repeated retrieval practice, the performance in a Verbal Paired-Associate memory task during the first visit and 1 week after will be compared for four study groups. The first group will get active tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice. The second group will get active tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice. The third group will get sham tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice and the fourth group will get Sham tDCS during a version of the verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Richardson, Texas, United States, 75080
      • The University of Texas of Dallas

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: 18-35 years
• Native English Speaker

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of severe head injuries,epileptic insults, or heart disease
• Severe psychiatric disorders and severe untreated medical problems.
• Acquainted with the foreign language used in the learning task
• Contraindications for tDCS (pregnant women, implanted devices)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: active tDCS with repeated retrieval practice; active tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice	Device: tDCS; active tDCS versus sham tDCS; Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task; with or without repeated retrieval practice
EXPERIMENTAL: active tDCS without repeated retrieval practice; active tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice	Device: tDCS; active tDCS versus sham tDCS; Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task; with or without repeated retrieval practice
SHAM_COMPARATOR: Sham tDCS with repeated retrieval practice; sham tDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice	Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task; with or without repeated retrieval practice
SHAM_COMPARATOR: Sham tDCS without repeated retrieval practice; shamtDCS with verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice	Behavioral: Verbal paired-associate learning task; with or without repeated retrieval practice

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Associative Memory assessed by a Verbal Paired-Associate memory test	Changes in performance in the Verbal Paired-Associate memory task is compared between the 4 groups (1. tDCS+verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice, 2. tDCS + verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice, 3. Sham tDCS+verbal paired-associate learning task with repeated retrieval practice, 4. Sham tDCS + verbal paired-associate learning task without repeated retrieval practice) to investigate the influence of tDCS and learning method on Associative Memory	baseline and 1 week after the tDCS

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Texas at Dallas

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 13, 2017
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): April 22, 2020
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): December 22, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 14, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 14, 2017
• First Posted (ACTUAL): February 16, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): January 26, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 25, 2022
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: memory; transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); accelerated learning
• Other Study ID Numbers: 17-34

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes