Neurophysiological Effects of tPCS and tDCS on Patients With Disorders of Consciousness

October 27, 2021 updated by: Aurore Thibaut, University of Liege
This study aims at comparing the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial pulsed current stimulation on neurophysiological outcomes on patients with disorders of consciousness. This study also aims to evaluate the effects of these techniques on patients' level of consciousness.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Belgium
      • Liege, Belgium, 4000
        • University Hospital of Liege

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Fluent in English or French
  • Legally authorized surrogate available to provide informed consent
  • History of non-traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness caused by stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, hypoxic ischemic insult, metabolic disorder or infection.
  • Has been followed clinically on the CRS-R for a minimum two weeks and has undergone a minimum of 4 assessments with the CRS-R.
  • Serial CRS-R scores show at least one subscale on which there is no behavioral sign of conscious awareness (ie, command following, visual fixation or pursuit, object localization or recognition, localization to noxious stimulation, object manipulation, automatic motor responses, functional object use, discernable speech, discernable yes no communication, based on clinically obtained scores contained in the medical record).
  • CRS-R screening examination completed by research staff confirms the absence of a behavioral sign of consciousness on a least one CRS-R subscale.
  • Medically stable (i.e., no systemic illness or disease) and capable of independent ventilation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of developmental, neurologic, or major psychiatric disorder resulting in functional disability up to time of enrollment.
  • Evidence or surrogate report of uncontrolled seizure disorder
  • Metallic brain implant or implanted electronic brain medical devices or pacemaker
  • Subjects with craniectomy
  • History of cranioplasty in the frontal region or recent cranioplasty that has not yet fully healed
  • Pregnancy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
  • Allocation: RANDOMIZED
  • Interventional Model: CROSSOVER
  • Masking: QUADRUPLE

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
EXPERIMENTAL: Active tPCS / Sham tDCS
All subject will receive active tPCS and sham tDCS for 20 minutes simultaneously.
Device: Active tPCS
A current intensity of 2na and a stimulation frequency range of 6-10 Hz will be used with a peri-auricular ear-clip electrode montage for 20 minutes.
Device: Sham tDCS
Sham tDCS will consist of applying the same parameters as for active but the corresponding device will be turned off after 30 seconds as to simulate the initial sensation of the active current. A current of 2mA will still be used (but turned off after 30 sec). The electrodes that will be used will be the same as for the active tDCS condition and the electrodes placement as well.
EXPERIMENTAL: Sham tPCS / Active tDCS
All subject will receive sham tPCS and active tDCS for 20 minutes simultaneously.
Device: Active tDCS
A current intensity of 2mA will be used for 20minutes. The electrodes that will be used will be standard sponge electrodes. The anode will be place over the left prefrontal cortex and the cathode over the right supraorbitofrontal area.
Device: Sham tPCS
Sham tPCS will consist of applying the same parameters as for active but the corresponding device will be turned off after 30 seconds as to simulate the initial sensation of the active current. A current of 2mA will still be used (but turned off after 30 sec). The electrodes that will be used will be the same as for the active tPCS condition and the electrodes placement as well.
EXPERIMENTAL: Sham tPCS / Sham tDCS
All subject will receive sham tPCS and sham tDCS for 20 minutes simultaneously.
Device: Sham tDCS
Sham tDCS will consist of applying the same parameters as for active but the corresponding device will be turned off after 30 seconds as to simulate the initial sensation of the active current. A current of 2mA will still be used (but turned off after 30 sec). The electrodes that will be used will be the same as for the active tDCS condition and the electrodes placement as well.
Device: Sham tPCS
Sham tPCS will consist of applying the same parameters as for active but the corresponding device will be turned off after 30 seconds as to simulate the initial sensation of the active current. A current of 2mA will still be used (but turned off after 30 sec). The electrodes that will be used will be the same as for the active tPCS condition and the electrodes placement as well.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Signal coherence and EEG power as measured by Quantitative electroencephalographic analysis (qEEG)
Time Frame: It will be measured over the course of about 3 weeks
EEG measures cortical electrical activity and examines the dynamic changes.
It will be measured over the course of about 3 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Coma Recovery Scale Revised (CRS-R)
Time Frame: It will be measured over the course of about 3 weeks
The CRS-R is a standard clinical protocol used to assess patients' level of consciousness. This test measures the level of response to sensory stimulation, ability to understand language and to communicate.
It will be measured over the course of about 3 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Liege

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (ACTUAL)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2018

Primary Completion (ACTUAL)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 30, 2019

Study Completion (ACTUAL)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 30, 2019

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 11, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 11, 2017

First Posted (ACTUAL)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 14, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
October 28, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 27, 2021

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2016P001840

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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