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Purpose

This study aims to determine the transient, modulatory effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on executive function and inhibitory control in patients with ADHD compared to healthy controls.

Condition

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 18 Years and 66 Years
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Male and female subjects 18-66 years of age 2. Healthy volunteers or volunteers with a diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood, meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) [American Psychiatric Association, 2013] criteria, including at least 5 moderate inattentive or impulsive-hyperactive symptoms, and onset of two symptoms of inattentive or of impulsive/hyperactive traits by the age of 12. 3. Patient will be either off stimulant medications or, if undergoing treatment with stimulants, will be asked to discontinue two days prior to the experiment, under physician-guided protocol, and allowed to resume afterwards. Subjects may resume stimulant use between the two study visits so long as they discontinue use two days prior to the second study visit. If fatigue is problematic in subjects discontinuing medication, they will be allowed to continue with the study if they are able to follow the suggested taper plan (50% of the dose day one, 25% dose day 2, stop day of visit (day 3)). 4. English-speaking

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Current or past history of clinically unstable psychiatric conditions such as suicidal or homicidal behavior or psychotic disorders. 2. Pregnant or nursing females. 3. Inability to participate in testing procedures 4. Contraindication to tDCS: history or epilepsy, metallic implants in the head and neck, brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, VP shunt, pacemakers, pregnancy. 5. Additional exclusion criteria for healthy controls: 1. Diagnosis of psychiatric of neurological disorder 2. Ongoing treatment with any psychotropic medications.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Crossover Assignment
Primary Purpose
Other
Masking
Double (Participant, Investigator)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Other
ADHD 		Patients with ADHD.
  • Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
    In tDCS, electrodes are applied on the scalp to transmit direct current at low current amplitudes.
Other
Healthy Control 		Volunteers without Neuropsychiatric Disorders.
  • Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
    In tDCS, electrodes are applied on the scalp to transmit direct current at low current amplitudes.

Recruiting Locations

Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts 02129
Contact:
Blake Andreou, BS
617-724-8780
bandreou@mgh.harvard.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Massachusetts General Hospital

Study Contact

Joan Camprodon, MD, PhD, MPH
61772656348
jcamprodon@mgh.harvard.edu

Detailed Description

This study aims to determine the transient, modulatory effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on executive function and inhibitory control in patients with ADHD. Deficits in these cognitive functions are core to ADHD, and cause significant impairment and morbidity. The study will also include a cohort of healthy controls for comparison.

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.