Evaluating the Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Recovering Cognitive Performance after Sleep Deprivation
You have the chance to participate in a research study about the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in reducing cognitive performance deterioration caused by lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation has been shown to produce drowsiness and fatigue, leading to performance deterioration. It has been proven that the application of a weak electrical current to an area of the brain can safely be used as a fatigue countermeasure to mitigate decrements in vigilance and enhance cognitive performance in various research settings. The purpose of this study is to simultaneously collect biological signals that measure nervous system activity over a 25hr period of sleep deprivation from subjects that have received brain stimulation to fully understand how it can act as a fatigue counter measure. Facial tracking data will also be collected simultaneously. While collecting the physiological data, you will be asked to perform some computer-based cognitive tasks. You will be asked to stay awake for at least 25 hours and once during this period you will receive brain stimulation (either sham or real).
Duration: One 26 hour session with a preliminary 1 hour visit the week before
Location: Engineering Science building, Storrs CT
Eligibility: Healthy and non-smoking adults, 18yrs or older without cardiorespiratory diseases.
Exclusion criteria: Individuals with pain, history of taking psychoactive substances (e.g. alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and marijuana), previous heart problems, chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder or history of physical abuse, pregnant, and anyone who is currently ill (common cold, upper respiratory infection, etc.). Subjects must abstain from drinking alcohol and caffeine for 24 hours before the study
Compensation will be provided (For participation and meals throughout the experiment!)
For more information, contact: Riley McNaboe at riley.mcnaboe@uconn.edu