RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT07319143

The Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Improving Emotion Health

Utilizing Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) to Alleviate Subthreshold Depression Via Distinct Positive and Negative Emotion Pathways


Sponsor

The University of Hong Kong

Enrollment

90 participants

Start Date

Nov 5, 2025

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects emotion functions in young adults aged 18-35 from the local community, including both male and female participants. The main question\[s\] it aims to answer are: * Does tDCS improve emotional functions, such as mood regulation and motivation, in individuals with subthreshold depression (StD)? * Can tDCS enhance emotional regulation compared to a sham stimulation (placebo)? Researchers will compare participants receiving tDCS on either the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC) or right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) with those receiving sham stimulation to see if tDCS has a stronger effect on emotional functions. Participants will: * Complete online and in-person screening to assess depressive symptoms using the Chinese version of the Beck Depression Inventory II (C-BDI-II) and be selected based on their depressive symptoms (C-BDI-II score ≥ 13). * Be randomly assigned to one of three groups: lDLPFC tDCS, rVLPFC tDCS, or Sham control group (1:1:1 ratio). * Receive 10 sessions of tDCS or Sham tDCS over 2 weeks, with each session lasting 20 minutes. * Complete assessments at baseline, post-intervention, 1-month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up, with each assessment lasting 2-2.5 hours. This includes questionnaires and perform emotional and cognitive tasks.


Eligibility

Min Age: 18 YearsMax Age: 35 Years

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is testing whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) — which uses a very mild electrical current applied through electrodes on the scalp — can help improve emotional wellbeing in young adults. **You may be eligible if...** - You are between 18 and 35 years old - You are fluent in Cantonese or Mandarin - You have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing - You have an IQ above the 75th percentile on Raven's matrices - You have at least 9 years of formal education - You are right-handed **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You have a past or current major physical illness or psychiatric disorder - You have taken psychiatric medications in the past 6 months - You are pregnant - You have a brain injury, implants, or any condition that makes tDCS unsafe - You participated in a brain stimulation study in the past 3 months Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

DEVICETranscranial Direct Current Stimulation

TDCS is a non-invasive, safe, inexpensive, convenient and effective method to modulate brain and emotion functions. During tDCS, a mild electric current is passed between the anodal and cathodal electrodes on the scalp, which respectively excites and inhibits local and downstream neuronal activity, as well as modulating interregional connectivity strength. Compared to other neurostimulation methods such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, tDCS side effects tend to be milder and transient, even if being administered for multiple sessions, making it suitable to be widely applied on clinical and subclinical populations.


Locations(1)

The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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NCT07319143


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