Cognitive Embodiment Activation by tDCS (GEST)

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Gestural-verbal Brain Associations: the Role of Cognitive Embodiment

The main objective of the proposed research is to extend our understanding of how gesture and language interact, focusing on the role of cognitive embodiment in this interaction, and to explore the neural systems that support links between language and actions systems.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy Young Adults
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: tDCS; Device: sham-tDCS

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Berlin, Germany, 10117
    • Charité

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Right handedness
• unobtrusive neuropsychological screening

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of severe alcoholism or use of drugs.
• Severe psychiatric disorders such as depression, psychosis (if not in remission) and severe untreated medical problems.
• Contraindication for MRT (claustrophobia, metallic implants, ferromagnetic metals in the body, disorders of thermoregulation, pregnant women).

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Anodal tDCS + semantic, motor, attentional tasks; Combination of gestural (subjects have to indicate if the gesture is related to the word), attentional and motor tasks with anodal stimulation	Device: tDCS; Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS); Other Names: Neuroconn
Sham Comparator: Sham tDCS + semantic, motor, attentional tasks; Combination of gestural (subjects have to indicate if the gesture is related to the word), attentional and motor tasks with sham stimulation	Device: sham-tDCS; sham stimulation; Other Names: Neuroconn

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
response time in semantic decision task	Comparing response time in semantic decision task under anodal tDCS compared to sham stimulation (change from sham stimulation)	assessed during stimulation or sham stimulation of semantic decision task (last approximately 10 min) at specific timepoint within 2 weeks
performance in attentional load task	Attentional load task: Participants are presented with a 6 positions ring that includes different shapes, they have to press V when they see a square and N when they see a diamond. They will have to ignore any shapes other than square and diamond within the ring or distractors that appear outside the ring. Comparing performance in attentional load task under anodal tDCS compared to sham stimulation (change from sham stimulation)	assessed during stimulation or sham stimulation of attentional load task (last approximately 6 min) at specific timepoint within 2 weeks
performance in motor task	Motor Task: Participants are presented with a red Box and they have to click a button each time they see it as fast as they can. Comparing performance in motor task under anodal tDCS compared to sham stimulation (change from sham stimulation)	assessed during stimulation or sham stimulation of motor task (last approximately 4 min) at specific timepoint within 2 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Functional connectivity predictors	Connectivity as measured by resting-state fMRI during baseline as predictors for performance and tDCS responsiveness	assessed during baseline testing
Other cognitive outcomes: change in working memory performance	Digit span backward performance assessed before (baseline) and after stimulation to test for tDCS effects on working memory	change in working memory performance from baseline after 30 min (approximately)
Other cognitive outcomes: change in Attention performance	Digit span forward performance assessed before baseline) and after stimulation to test for tDCS effects on attention	change in attention performance from baseline after 30 min (approximately)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Charite University, Berlin, Germany
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Agnes Floeel, Prof, Charité Universitätsmedizin

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Floel A, Rosser N, Michka O, Knecht S, Breitenstein C. Noninvasive brain stimulation improves language learning. J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Aug;20(8):1415-22. doi: 10.1162/jocn.2008.20098.
• Cohen-Maximov T, Avirame K, Floel A, Lavidor M. Modulation of Gestural-verbal Semantic Integration by tDCS. Brain Stimul. 2015 May-Jun;8(3):493-8. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2014.12.001. Epub 2014 Dec 11.
• Floel A, Ellger T, Breitenstein C, Knecht S. Language perception activates the hand motor cortex: implications for motor theories of speech perception. Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Aug;18(3):704-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2003.02774.x.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 24, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 23, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): March 29, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 11, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2021
• Last Verified: May 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: GEST

Drug and device information, study documents

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