Effects of Neuromodulation and Cognitive Training for Suicide in Veterans (ENACTS) (ENACTS)

Impaired executive function, such as impaired decision making and impulsivity, has been identified as an important contributor to the transition from suicidal ideation to suicide attempt. To address the epidemic of Veteran suicide in the United States, this study tests the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a five day transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) augmented executive functioning training intervention. This intervention is delivered to high suicide risk inpatients. The ultimate goal is to reduce future suicide events (ideation, attempts, deaths) and improve quality of life (e.g. social relationships, health resource utilization).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Suicide; Impulsivity
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Minnesota
    • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 55417-2309
      • Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• currently admitted into the MVAHCS Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
• at a heightened risk for suicide (defined as a positive screen on the VA Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation (CSRE) at intake and/or a suicide attempt within the previous 12 months)
• able to complete procedures and tasks

Exclusion Criteria:

• are unable to provide informed consent as determined by the Modified Dysken Tool
• have moderate/severe cognitive impairment as determined by the Mini-Mental State Examination (score 27)
• have contraindications for tDCS (history of seizures, metallic cranial plates/screws or implanted device, history of eczema on scalp)
• do not have a smartphone or device running Android or Apple iOS with which to download the mPRO EMA app
• have been involuntarily committed

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Active tDCS; Participants will receive 10 sessions of cognitive training concurrent with transcranial direct current stimulation (anode over left frontal cortex, cathode over right frontal cortex; 2 mAmps for 20 minutes).	Device: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Cognitive training concurrent with 2 mAmps of anodal stimulation applied to the left frontal cortex for 20 minutes.
Sham Comparator: Sham tDCS; Participants will receive 10 sessions of cognitive training concurrent with sham tDCS. For sham tDCS, electrodes are placed at the same locations as for active tDCS, but current is ramped up for the initial 30 secs, then immediately ramped back down. This method mimics the initial physical sensation of stimulation, but there is no active current for the remainder of the session.	Device: Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Cognitive training concurrent with sham tDCS (30 secs ramp up/ramp down of current at beginning and end of session).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Recruitment Feasibility	Recruitment feasibility will be demonstrated by successful recruitment of 15 participants per year into the study.	2 years
Intervention Acceptability	Acceptability of the intervention will be demonstrated by a retention rate of 80% at the 2 month follow-up assessment, and by 70% of participants being able to complete ⅔ of treatment sessions.	2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Completion Time of the Groton Maze Task	Differences in magnitude of change in performance on the Groton Maze Task between active and sham tDCS groups from baseline to follow-up sessions. Outcome score is time to complete task, with longer time indicating worse performance.	Change over time from the baseline session through post-intervention, 1 month follow-up, and 2 month follow-up sessions.
Change in NIH Quality of Life Questionnaire	Differences in magnitude of change in scores on the NIH Quality of Life (QoL) battery in the domains of cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral abilities between active and sham tDCS groups from baseline to follow-up sessions. Responses are on a 0-5 Likert scale. The primary outcome measure is the mean Total score across these domains. Higher scores indicate better QoL.	Change over time from the baseline session through post-intervention, 1 month follow-up, and 2 month follow-up sessions.
Change in UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale	The UPPS-P assesses impulsive behavior in five domains: Positive Urgency, Negative Urgency, (lack of) Premeditation, (lack of) Perseverance, and Sensation Seeking. The scale uses a 1 (agree strongly) to 4 (disagree strongly) response format. The primary outcome measure is the Total score across these domains, calculated as the average of all items in the questionnaire. Higher scores indicate more impulsive behavior.	Change over time from the baseline session through post-intervention, 1 month follow-up, and 2 month follow-up sessions.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Casey S Gilmore, PhD, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 2, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): March 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 28, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 28, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 9, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 7, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 9, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Suicide; Impulsive Behavior
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Behavior; Suicide; Impulsive Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: D4104-P

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No