Prefrontal cortex stimulation to change emotional decision-making
Official title: Exploring the Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Decision-Making
Run by University of Bern · NCT07080489 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether non-invasive brain stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can change how younger and older adults—both healthy people and those with mild to moderate depression—make decisions about emotionally positive and negative information.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 20 Years to 75 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 444 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Bern Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Bern) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 4, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2027 |
| Study ends | February 2028 |
| Registry record updated | August 31, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07080489 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are German-speaking adults aged 20–40 or 60–75 who are either healthy right-handed non-smokers with no psychiatric or neurological history, or people with mild-to-moderate depression who are not taking benzodiazepines or antipsychotics and have no psychosis, personality disorder, or magnetizable implants.
✕Probably not a fit
People with severe depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, current benzodiazepine or antipsychotic use, magnetizable implants, substance dependence, left-handedness, or inability to attend in-person visits are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This interventional study uses high‑definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD‑tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) with sham controls to see whether stimulation changes responses to emotionally valenced material during a decision-making task. Participants are four groups—younger (20–40) and older (60–75) adults who are healthy or have mild-to-moderate major depression—and they complete the task while receiving active or sham stimulation. Investigators will use ultra‑high‑field 7 Tesla magnetic resonance spectroscopy and fMRI to measure GABA/glutamate concentrations and brain activity before and after stimulation. Comparisons across stimulation condition, age, and diagnostic group will test whether lateralized stimulation shifts attention toward positive content and whether neurotransmitter changes underlie any behavioral effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could point to a non-drug way to shift attention toward positive information and help guide age‑adapted brain stimulation strategies for depression.
How similar studies have gone: Previous tDCS studies have sometimes produced modest shifts in emotional bias and symptoms but results are mixed, and combining HD‑tDCS with ultra‑high‑field spectroscopy and direct age comparisons is novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria (Healthy): * 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 Exclusion Criteria (Healthy): * History of neurological disorders * History of psychiatric disorders * Use of psychotropic medication * Presence of magnetizable implants * Alcohol or drug dependence Inclusion Criteria (Patient): * 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 Criteria (Patient): * 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
Where it's running
-
University of Bern, Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Bern, Switzerland Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jessica Peter, PhD — University of Bern
- Study coordinator: Maya D Yilmaz, M.Sc.
- Email: maya.yilmaz@unibe.ch
- Phone: +41 58 630 79 62
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.