Effect of Electrical Stimulation (DC Polarization) to the Brain on Memory

OBJECTIVE: The principal objective is to establish whether DC polarization of left lateral prefrontal cortex can enhance verbal memory. STUDY POPULATION: 75 healthy volunteers over the age of 18 will be enrolled. DESIGN: The study is a double-blind parallel study with three arms: anodal polarization, cathodal polarization, and sham treatment. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure is performance on the WMS-III Word Lists test. Secondary outcome measures, testing for effects of DC polarization on basic information processing and non-verbal memory, respectively, are the CalCAP and WMS-III Visual Reproduction Test. The Verbal Fluency Test will be administered prior to stimulation and 24 hours post-stimulation to screen for other residual effects of the polarization on the stimulated region.