Exploring the Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Decision-Making
University of Bern
444 participants
Mar 4, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goal of this study is to examine whether high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) can influence decision-making for emotionally valenced content in younger and older adults, with or without major depression. The main questions are: In healthy adults, does brain stimulation modulate how people respond to emotionally valenced content during a decision-making task? What happens in the brain during modulation? Do these effects differ between younger and older adults? In adults with depression, does brain stimulation help shift attention towards positive content during the task? What happens in the brain? Are these effects moderated by age (younger vs. older adults)? The investigators will compare participants who receive real stimulation to those who receive sham (placebo) stimulation. Participants will: Receive high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) Perform a decision-making task involving emotionally valenced words Complete the task while undergoing a brain scan using ultra-high field 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure brain activity
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria13
- Written Informed Consent
- Age between 20-40 or 60-75 years
- Fluent in German
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- No color blindness
- Right-handed
- Non-smoker
- Written Informed Consent
- Diagnosed with mild to moderate depression
- Age between 20-40 or 60-75 years
- Fluent in German
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- No color blindness
Exclusion Criteria9
- History of neurological disorders
- History of psychiatric disorders
- Use of psychotropic medication
- Presence of magnetizable implants
- Alcohol or drug dependence
- Intake of benzodiazepines or antipsychotic medication
- psychiatric disorders other than depression (e.g., psychosis, mania, personality disorders) or depression with organic cause
- Presence of magnetizable implants
- Alcohol or drug dependence
Interventions
Participants receive anodal HD-tDCS targeting the left or right DLPFC (F3/F4).
Participants receive sham HD-tDCS targeting the left or right DLPFC (F3/F4). The device mimics the sensation of stimulation without delivering active current.
Participants receive anodal HD-tDCS targeting the left DLPFC (F3) and cathodal stimulation targeting the right DLPFC (F4).
Participants receive sham HD-tDCS targeting the left DLPFC (F3) and right DLPFC (F4). The device mimics the sensation of stimulation without delivering active current.
Locations(1)
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NCT07080489