About this trial
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 criteria
Qualifiers
Age 18-35 years
Fluency in Cantonese or Mandarin
Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing
IQ > 75% Quantile in Raven's SPM
Disqualifiers
Past or current major physical illness or psychiatric disorders
Use of psychotropic medication in the past 6 months
Pregnancy (for women)
Any condition that prevents safe tDCS use (e.g., brain injury, implants)
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
- Sham tDCS
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
The University of Hong Kong
Lead sponsor
Research Grants Council, Hong Kong
Collaborator