AgingSoCoStimNCT04633499
Effects of tDCS on Social Cognition in Aging
A study testing Social Cognition Task and tDCS in people with Aging and Social Cognition, run by University Medicine Greifswald at 1 site in Germany.
Trial summary
The aim of the study is to explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on either the right tempo-parietal junction (rTPJ) or the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in healthy older adults (replication in a different sample of a study by Martin et al., 2020). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 80 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Aging, Social Cognition
- What is being tested?
- Social Cognition Task and tDCS
- Type of treatment
- Medical device, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 90 participants
- Where
- 1 siteGermany
- Study dates
- 1 Aug 2020to 31 May 2022
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 80 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- healthy older (60 - 80 years) and younger (18 - 30 years) participants
- German as their main language or sufficient german skills to understand the experiment and the task
Who cannot join
- participants with neuropsychological or psychiatric disease that affect cognition.
- standard MRI exclusion criteria (e.g. pregnancy, metal implants)
- standard tDCS exclusion criteria (e.g. metal implants in the head)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Effects of tDCS on Visual Perspective Taking and Emotion Recognition in Healthy Older Adults
The aim of the study is to explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on either the right tempo-parietal junction (rTPJ) or the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in healthy older adults (replication in a different sample of a study by Martin et al., 2020).
Read the detailed description
Humans are fundamentally social animals. The ability to operate within large social networks requires considerable cognitive capacity, often referred to as social cognition. One social cognitive process thought to involve embodied and nonembodied processes is perspective-taking. Recently, the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) has been suggested as a key hub for embodied processing relevant to social cognition. A study of Martin et al. (2020) could further provide causal evidence that the right temporoparietal junction is involved specifically in the embodied component of perspective-taking. Specifically, HD-tDCS (high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation) to the right temporoparietal junction, but not another hub of the social brain (dorsomedial PFC), increased the effect of body position during perspective-taking, but not tracking. As social cognition is affected by the aging process and decline of socio-cognitive abilities is a key feature of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, the aim of the present study is to replicate the findings of Martin et al., (2020) in a sample of healthy older adults to better understand the modulation of socio-cognitive processes in older age.
The aim of the study is to explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on either the right tempo-parietal junction (rTPJ) or the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in healthy older adults (replication in a different sample of a study by Martin et al., 2020). 60 healthy older adults and 30 younger participants (serving as a control group) will be tested in a Reading the Eyes in the Mind Task (RMET) and a Task of Visual Perspective Taking (VPT) , while stimulation either the rTPJ or the dmPFC with either active or sham tDCS (stimulation only in the group of older participants). In the RMET the expectation is that older participants have higher reaction times after correct answers under rTPJ tDCS. No stimulation effects of the dmPFC are expected. In the VPT older participants are expected to have a selective effect on body position (similar to the results of Martin et al., 2020) under rTPJ stimulation, but not dmPFC stimulation.
A further focus of the study is how functional and structural connectivity of the brain and individual differences measured with an MRI assessment influence with the success of the RMET and VPT paradigms in an explorative research question.
- Conditions
- Aging, Social Cognition
- Being tested
- Social Cognition Task, tDCS
- Keywords
- tDCS, Social Cognition
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Social Cognition TaskBehavioural
Two paradigms will be tested: visual perspective taking and reading the mind in the eyes.
tDCSDevice
tDCS either over the dmPFC or the rTPJ.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| dmPFC tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants | Active comparator | Participants will receive either active or sham stimulation over the dmPFC while conducting two different social cognition paradigms: one regarding emotion recognition, one on visual perspective taking. Receives: Behavioral: Social Cognition Task; Device: tDCS |
| rTPJ tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants | Experimental | Participants will receive either active or sham stimulation over the rTPJ while conducting two different social cognition paradigms: one regarding emotion recognition, one on visual perspective taking. Receives: Behavioral: Social Cognition Task; Device: tDCS |
| Social cognition tasks in younger participants | Active comparator | Participants will conduct two different social cognition paradigms: one regarding emotion recognition, one on visual perspective taking but without tDCS stimulation. Receives: Behavioral: Social Cognition Task |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Response Time in milliseconds in Visual-Perspective Taking Paradigm (VPT) in the active tDCS.
The outcome in the VPT paradigm will be response time in milliseconds (for correct answers only).
Measured: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
Response Time in milliseconds in Visual-Perspective Taking Paradigm (VPT) in the sham tDCS.
The outcome in the VPT paradigm will be response time in milliseconds (for correct answers only).
Measured: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
Response Time in milliseconds in the Reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) in the active tDCS.
Outcome in the RMET will be reaction times in milliseconds (of correct answers only) in either rTPJ or dmPFC stimulation in comparison to sham stimulation.
Measured: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
Response Time in milliseconds in the Reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) in the sham tDCS.
Outcome in the RMET will be reaction times in milliseconds (of correct answers only) in either rTPJ or dmPFC stimulation in comparison to sham stimulation.
Measured: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
Secondary outcomes (1)
Functional and structural connectivity (via MRI)
It will be investigated how functional and structural connectivity of the brain and individual differences measured with an MRI assessment influence with the success of the RMET and VPT paradigms in an explorative research question.Structural and functional connectivity will be assessed.
Measured: MRI Assessment takes places before participants are stimulated with tDCS at Baseline (Day 1).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Nov 2020
- Study start1 Aug 2020
- Primary completion31 May 2022
- Study completion31 May 2022
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for AgingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- It is a randomized, balanced cross-over design with within- as well as between group comparisons. Two groups will be investigate: young participants (n = 30) and older participants (n = 60). The group of young participants will serve as a control group and will only get a neuropsychological assessment of their cognitive abilities at the beginning of the study, an MRI assessment and one session of the investigated paradigms (without tDCS). The group of older participants will conduct a session of MRI assessment and neuropsychological assessment, as well as two tDCS sessions (anodal/sham). The stimulation will either be over the rTPJ or the dmPFC. This set-up is identical to the study of Martin et al., (2020).
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Medicine Greifswald
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Marcus Meinzer, Dr., Principal investigator, Universitymedicine Greifswald
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04633499
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SoCoStim
- Acronym
- SoCoStim
- Status last verified
- Jun 2022
- First submitted
- 27 Aug 2020
- Last updated
- 2 Jun 2022
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Martin AK, Kessler K, Cooke S, Huang J, Meinzer M. The Right Temporoparietal Junction Is Causally Associated with Embodied Perspective-taking. J Neurosci. 2020 Apr 8;40(15):3089-3095. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2637-19.2020. Epub 2020 Mar 4.
PubMed 32132264Roheger M, Mader A, Riemann S, Niemann F, Kessler K, Martin AK, Meinzer M. Intact embodiment during perspective-taking in older adults is not affected by focal tDCS. Geroscience. 2025 Dec;47(6):6823-6837. doi: 10.1007/s11357-025-01554-4. Epub 2025 Feb 19.
PubMed 39966250
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Jun 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of tDCS on Visual Perspective Taking and Emotion Recognition in Healthy Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04633499
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SoCoStim / SoCoStim
- Conditions
- Aging, Social Cognition
- Keywords
- tDCS, Social Cognition
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 90 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Medicine GreifswaldUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Aug 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2022 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Nov 2020 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of the study is to explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on either the right tempo-parietal junction (rTPJ) or the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in healthy older adults (replication in a different sample of a study by Martin et al., 2020).
Detailed description
Humans are fundamentally social animals. The ability to operate within large social networks requires considerable cognitive capacity, often referred to as social cognition. One social cognitive process thought to involve embodied and nonembodied processes is perspective-taking. Recently, the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) has been suggested as a key hub for embodied processing relevant to social cognition. A study of Martin et al. (2020) could further provide causal evidence that the right temporoparietal junction is involved specifically in the embodied component of perspective-taking. Specifically, HD-tDCS (high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation) to the right temporoparietal junction, but not another hub of the social brain (dorsomedial PFC), increased the effect of body position during perspective-taking, but not tracking. As social cognition is affected by the aging process and decline of socio-cognitive abilities is a key feature of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, the aim of the present study is to replicate the findings of Martin et al., (2020) in a sample of healthy older adults to better understand the modulation of socio-cognitive processes in older age.
The aim of the study is to explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on either the right tempo-parietal junction (rTPJ) or the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) in healthy older adults (replication in a different sample of a study by Martin et al., 2020). 60 healthy older adults and 30 younger participants (serving as a control group) will be tested in a Reading the Eyes in the Mind Task (RMET) and a Task of Visual Perspective Taking (VPT) , while stimulation either the rTPJ or the dmPFC with either active or sham tDCS (stimulation only in the group of older participants). In the RMET the expectation is that older participants have higher reaction times after correct answers under rTPJ tDCS. No stimulation effects of the dmPFC are expected. In the VPT older participants are expected to have a selective effect on body position (similar to the results of Martin et al., 2020) under rTPJ stimulation, but not dmPFC stimulation.
A further focus of the study is how functional and structural connectivity of the brain and individual differences measured with an MRI assessment influence with the success of the RMET and VPT paradigms in an explorative research question.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- It is a randomized, balanced cross-over design with within- as well as between group comparisons. Two groups will be investigate: young participants (n = 30) and older participants (n = 60). The group of young participants will serve as a control group and will only get a neuropsychological assessment of their cognitive abilities at the beginning of the study, an MRI assessment and one session of the investigated paradigms (without tDCS). The group of older participants will conduct a session of MRI assessment and neuropsychological assessment, as well as two tDCS sessions (anodal/sham). The stimulation will either be over the rTPJ or the dmPFC. This set-up is identical to the study of Martin et al., (2020).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| dmPFC tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants | Active comparator | Behavioral: Social Cognition Task, Device: tDCSParticipants will receive either active or sham stimulation over the dmPFC while conducting two different social cognition paradigms: one regarding emotion recognition, one on visual perspective taking. |
| rTPJ tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants | Experimental | Behavioral: Social Cognition Task, Device: tDCSParticipants will receive either active or sham stimulation over the rTPJ while conducting two different social cognition paradigms: one regarding emotion recognition, one on visual perspective taking. |
| Social cognition tasks in younger participants | Active comparator | Behavioral: Social Cognition TaskParticipants will conduct two different social cognition paradigms: one regarding emotion recognition, one on visual perspective taking but without tDCS stimulation. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- healthy older (60 - 80 years) and younger (18 - 30 years) participants
- German as their main language or sufficient german skills to understand the experiment and the task
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- participants with neuropsychological or psychiatric disease that affect cognition.
- standard MRI exclusion criteria (e.g. pregnancy, metal implants)
- standard tDCS exclusion criteria (e.g. metal implants in the head)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Social Cognition TaskTwo paradigms will be tested: visual perspective taking and reading the mind in the eyes. | Behavioural | Social cognition tasks in younger participants, dmPFC tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants, rTPJ tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants |
| tDCStDCS either over the dmPFC or the rTPJ. | Device | dmPFC tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants, rTPJ tDCS + Social Cognition tasks in older participants |
Primary outcome
Response Time in milliseconds in Visual-Perspective Taking Paradigm (VPT) in the active tDCS.
Time frame: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
The outcome in the VPT paradigm will be response time in milliseconds (for correct answers only).
Response Time in milliseconds in Visual-Perspective Taking Paradigm (VPT) in the sham tDCS.
Time frame: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
The outcome in the VPT paradigm will be response time in milliseconds (for correct answers only).
Response Time in milliseconds in the Reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) in the active tDCS.
Time frame: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
Outcome in the RMET will be reaction times in milliseconds (of correct answers only) in either rTPJ or dmPFC stimulation in comparison to sham stimulation.
Response Time in milliseconds in the Reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) in the sham tDCS.
Time frame: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)
Outcome in the RMET will be reaction times in milliseconds (of correct answers only) in either rTPJ or dmPFC stimulation in comparison to sham stimulation.
1 secondary outcome
Functional and structural connectivity (via MRI)
Time frame: MRI Assessment takes places before participants are stimulated with tDCS at Baseline (Day 1).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Jun 2022.
- Background: PubMed 32132264Martin AK, Kessler K, Cooke S, Huang J, Meinzer M. The Right Temporoparietal Junction Is Causally Associated with Embodied Perspective-taking. J Neurosci. 2020 Apr 8;40(15):3089-3095. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2637-19.2020. Epub 2020 Mar 4.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 39966250Roheger M, Mader A, Riemann S, Niemann F, Kessler K, Martin AK, Meinzer M. Intact embodiment during perspective-taking in older adults is not affected by focal tDCS. Geroscience. 2025 Dec;47(6):6823-6837. doi: 10.1007/s11357-025-01554-4. Epub 2025 Feb 19.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Marcus Meinzer, Dr. principal investigator
Universitymedicine Greifswald
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Social Cognition Task and tDCS in people with Aging and Social Cognition, run by University Medicine Greifswald at 1 site in Germany.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Jun 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Response Time in milliseconds in Visual-Perspective Taking Paradigm (VPT) in the active tDCS. (time frame: at Day 1 or 7 (depends on randomization)). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04633499, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Jun 2022.