Electrical nerve stimulation during sleep to boost memory in healthy young adults

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, within-subject crossover study examines if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (eTNS) during sleep influences memory consolidation and cardiopulmonary-brain interactions. Healthy young adults will complete four overnight sessions in a sleep lab, including an adaptation night and three stimulation nights (2 Hz, 120 Hz, and sham) in random order. Participants perform a motor sequence task and an N-back task before sleep and are retested the next morning while sleep, heart rate, and respiration are monitored. The study uses polysomnography to record sleep stages and physiological data to explore how eTNS may modulate memory-related brain-body coupling.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Healthy young adults (e.g., college students), aged generally between 18 and 30 years.
2. Right-handed.
3. Body Mass Index (BMI) ≤ 30 kg/m\^2.
4. Capable of fully comprehending the experimental procedures and voluntarily signing the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History or current presence of neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, or brain damage.
2. History or current presence of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., arrhythmias or abnormal nocturnal heart rate).
3. Presence of depressive or anxiety symptoms (assessed by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 \[PHQ-9\] score \> 9, or Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 \[GAD-7\] score \> 9).
4. Presence of sleep disturbances or poor sleep quality (assessed by Insomnia Severity Index \[ISI\] score \> 8, or Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index \[PSQI\] score \> 10).
5. Any medication use within the past six months that could affect stress responses, cognitive abilities, or sleep architecture.
6. History of smoking or alcohol abuse.
7. Known skin allergies to conductive paste, medical tape, or silicone electrodes.
8. Female participants who are in their menstrual period during the scheduled experimental sessions (sessions must be strategically scheduled to avoid this period).
9. Inability or refusal to abstain from caffeine, tea, and alcohol for at least 24 hours prior to and during the experimental sessions.

Where it's running

• Xidian University
  Xi'an, Shaanxi, China Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Xue-Juan Yang
• Email: xjyang@xidian.edu.cn
• Phone: 13227038185

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.