Brain Stimulation for Emotions

Overseen By Edward F Chang, MD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco

Disqualifiers: Cerebral lesions, Cognitive deficits, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to explore how the brain's emotion network affects feelings and behaviors, particularly in relation to depression and anxiety. Researchers seek to understand how brain activity changes during different emotions and why some individuals are more prone to mood issues. Participants will undergo electrical brain stimulation, a technique using electrical currents to influence brain activity, while viewing visual stimuli to study these changes. This study specifically targets individuals with epilepsy who are already having brain electrodes implanted to help map their seizures. As an unphased study, this research provides a unique opportunity to contribute to scientific understanding without the constraints of traditional clinical trial phases.

Do I need to stop my current medications for the trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this brain stimulation technique is safe for emotions?

Previous studies have shown that electrical stimulation of the brain is well-tolerated. Research indicates that methods like transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) can safely alter brain activity without harm. One study maintained the stimulation level at 5 mA to ensure safety, and reported no specific safety issues. Additionally, available data show no evidence of brain injury from these types of stimulation. Overall, these findings suggest that electrical brain stimulation is generally safe for use in humans. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using electrical brain stimulation combined with visual stimuli for managing emotional conditions because this approach directly targets brain regions involved in emotion. Unlike standard treatments like medications or talk therapy, which can take weeks to show effects, this method has the potential to influence emotional responses more rapidly by activating specific brain areas. This unique combination offers a new way to modulate emotions, potentially leading to faster and more precise outcomes for patients.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for affective symptoms?

Research has shown that using electrical signals on the brain can boost mood and lessen negative emotions. One study found that targeting specific brain areas led to quick mood improvements. Another study discovered that this type of stimulation can lower stress and negative feelings. In this trial, participants will experience both electrical brain stimulation and visual stimuli to induce emotions. These findings suggest that electrical brain stimulation might help manage emotions and could be useful for conditions like depression and anxiety. ^{1 4 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Edward F Chang, MD

Principal Investigator

University of California, San Francisco

Virginia Sturm, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of California, San Francisco

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with epilepsy at UCSF who are undergoing surgical electrode implantation and can cooperate with study tasks. It's not suitable for those unable to consent, with significant brain lesions, or cognitive deficits that prevent reliable task completion.

Inclusion Criteria

I have electrodes implanted in at least two key areas and can participate in study tasks.

I am having surgery at UCSF to locate my seizures using electrodes.

Exclusion Criteria

I am able to understand and complete study tasks.

I am unable or unwilling to give consent for this trial.

I have significant brain lesions.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Inpatient Hospitalization

Participants undergo video and stimulation-based induction of emotion while being monitored for changes in respiratory rate, heart rate, facial expression activity, electrodermal activity, and neural activity within the emotion network.

4-14 days

Continuous monitoring during hospitalization

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after the inpatient phase, focusing on any changes in affective symptoms.

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Electrical stimulation of the brain
• Viewing visual stimuli

Trial Overview The study investigates how the emotion network in the brain operates by having participants view visual stimuli and receive electrical stimulation. The aim is to understand emotional behavior changes and affective symptoms like depression and anxiety.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Video and stimulation-based induction of emotion Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants viewed visual stimuli while undergoing stimulation of brain regions involved in emotion during their inpatient hospitalization at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, San Francisco

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,636

Recruited

19,080,000+

San Francisco State University

Collaborator

Trials

12

Recruited

2,500+

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Collaborator

Trials

3,007

Recruited

2,852,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6226375/

Modulating emotional experience using electrical stimulation ... Active stimulation reduced the intensity of experienced negative emotions, and mitigated a rise in stress levels in response to emotion induction. Concurrent ...

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X23018636

State-specific modulation of mood using intracranial ... A recent study revealed causal evidence that stimulating the OFC leads to immediate improvements in mood state [6]. Despite converging evidence suggesting the ...

3. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05712057

Neurostimulation Versus Therapy for Problems With ... The primary goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the unique neural and behavioral effects of a one-session training combining emotion regulation ...

4. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1641801/full

Effects of repeated cranial electrotherapy stimulation on ... Neuromodulation models suggest that ongoing CES may induce lasting changes in autonomic balance or neuroplasticity related to mood and stress ...

5. medrxiv.org medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.09.24315160v1.full-text

The Efficacy of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation ... Our results reveal that tDCS can effectively enhance emotional processing, offering valuable insights into the potential benefits of this method ...

6. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825001426

Transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) in human motor ... This technique facilitates the modulation of neuronal excitability, regulation of brainwave activity, promotion of neural remodeling and repair, enhancement of ...

7. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2021.795318/full

Modulation of Emotion Perception via Amygdala ... Based on stimulation safety data provided by both electrode manufacturers, we limited maximum stimulation intensity to 5 mA. This stimulation ...

8. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5985830/

Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation: Safety, ethical ... From available data, no specific safety issues apply for different electrode designs used in tDCS studies. There is no evidence for brain injury following ...