Effect of Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation on the Performance in Language Tasks

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-90
SponsorAdrian Guggisberg

About this trial

Language is an essential part of daily life, enabling us to communicate, understand others, read, and learn. Certain brain injuries can disrupt these abilities, and current treatments do not always lead to a full recovery. To improve future therapeutic approaches, it is necessary to better understand how the brain processes language and how its activity can be modulated.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial random noise stimulation. This method involves applying a very weak electrical current to the scalp to modulate the activity of brain regions involved in language. It is commonly used in research and is considered safe when administered in accordance with current guidelines.

Healthy adult volunteers will participate in this study. Each participant will take part in two sessions spaced about a week apart. During one session, active stimulation will be used, and during the other, placebo stimulation will be used. Placebo stimulation resembles the actual stimulation but has no active effect. Neither the participants nor the researchers will know which type of stimulation is being used during each session.

During the sessions, participants will perform various language tasks, and their brain activity will be recorded using an electroencephalogram (EEG), a painless method.

This study does not provide any direct benefit to participants. The risks are low and limited to temporary sensations, such as a tingling sensation on the scalp. The results will provide a better understanding of how the brain processes language and could eventually contribute to the development of new rehabilitation approaches.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

Age: 18-35 years or 60-90 years

Native French speakers

Right handed

Willing and able to provide informed consent

Disqualifiers

History of neurological or psychiatric disease

Regular consumption of benzodiazepines, neuroleptics, or psychoactive drugs

Major language deficit, developmental language disorder, arthropathies and other mechanical language impairments

Inability to understand or follow study procedures

Trial design

Design model

Crossover

Treatments tested in this trial

  • transcranial random noise stimulation

    Device

    active HD-tRNS

  • sham stimulation

    Device

    current will be ramped up for 30 seconds and then switched of, to mimic the subjective sensation of tRNS.

Treatment groups

90 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groups
Group A: Younger adultsOther 2 interventions
Group B: Elderly adultsOther 2 interventions

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Composite score

composite behavioural score reflecting overall language performance across four language domains (phonological, semantic, morphosyntactic, and reading)

Time frame
Periprocedural

Secondary outcomes

1

Phonological processing

pseudoword reading task: accuracy (% correct) and response latency (ms)

Time frame
Periprocedural
2

Semantic processing

semantic fluency task: number of correct words produced within 1 min

Time frame
Periprocedural
3

Morphosyntactic processing

grammaticality judgment task: accuracy (% correct) and response latency (ms)

Time frame
Periprocedural
4

Reading speed

International reading speed test IReST: Reading time (s), words per minute, and error count

Time frame
Periprocedural

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

Adrian Guggisberg

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Geneva

Sponsor institution