Impact of Theta Burst Stimulation Over the Left DLPFC on Language Switching

April 11, 2020 updated by: Jean-Marie Annoni

Impact of Theta Burst Stimulation Over the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Language Switching and Cognitive Flexibility

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether theta burst stimulation (TBS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) influences language switching and cognitive flexibility. The experimental paradigm will assess the impact of inhibitory and excitatory prefrontal stimulation by TBS versus sham-TBS over the DLPFC in healthy bilinguals.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background:

Clinical observations and neuroimaging studies seem to confirm the role of executive functions and frontal structures in language processing in bilingual subjects.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, such as for example theta burst stimulation (TBS), is increasingly being used as a valuable tool for neuroscientists investigating the underlying mechanisms of cognitive functions. Case studies have shown a change in language switching after bilingual patients received repetitive magnetic stimulation to the left DLPFC. However, there is no study investigating the effect of TBS applied to the DLPFC on language switching in healthy participants.

Procedure:

A planned total of 40 unbalanced bilingual participants will be included. Half of the participants will receive inhibitory theta burst stimulation (continuous TBS), the other half excitatory theta burst stimulation (intermittent TBS). After TBS, different language and nonverbal tasks will be performed while an EEG is measured. Before being stimulated, each subject will conduct the same tasks with a sham-TBS as a baseline measure.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

41

Phase

  • 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

  • Switzerland
      • Fribourg, Switzerland, 1700
        • Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 45 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • L1 (Swiss)German, knowledge of English as a foreign language
  • 18-45 years of age
  • right-handedness

Exclusion Criteria:

  • epilepsy / family history of epilepsy
  • brain surgery, traumatic brain injuries
  • cardiac pacemaker, metallic objects in the head
  • history of neurological diseases or severe psychiatric disorders
  • drug use (alcohol, psychoactive medication)
  • strong headache
  • pregnancy

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: Factorial Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: intermittent theta burst stimulation
intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) + Sham iTBS
Device: Sham iTBS
Placebo stimulation for the iTBS group
Device: intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS)
Excitatory theta burst stimulation
Experimental: continuous theta burst stimulation
continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) + Sham cTBS
Device: Sham cTBS
Placebo stimulation for the cTBS group
Device: continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS)
inhibitory theta burst stimulation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
RTs for Picture Naming With the Factors Language (L1, L2) and Block (Switching, Non-Switching)
Time Frame: Within 30 minutes after intervention

Picture naming with the factors Language (L1, L2) and Block (Switching, Non-Switching): Speech onset times (msec) L1 refers to the mother tongue. L2 refers to the late acquired (> age 7) second language. Switching Block refers to a language switching block with picture naming alternated between the mother tongue and the second language.

Non-Switching Block refers to a block of picture naming either only in the mother or only in the second language.
Within 30 minutes after intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Nonverbal Switching
Time Frame: Within 30 minutes after intervention
Nonverbal Switching: response times
Within 30 minutes after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Jean-Marie Annoni

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jean-Marie Annoni, Prof. Dr., University of Fribourg

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

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 (Actual)

September 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 1, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 8, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

May 11, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 22, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 11, 2020

Last Verified

April 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • SNF325130_156937_4

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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