High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Chlorella Pyrenoidosa to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk (HD-TDCS)

March 1, 2024 updated by: Suellen Andrade, Federal University of Paraíba

High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Hd-Tdcs) and Chlorella Pyrenoidosa as an Adjuvant Treatment to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Long COVID

Recent investigations have shown that of the patients who were affected by SARCov2 have remained with persistent symptoms in a high proportion. In these considerations, the literature has suggested nomenclatures such as "post-COVID-19" and "chronic COVID-19", "long -COVID" and Post-Covid Syndrome for patients recovered from SARCov2 reporting persistent symptoms and signs for weeks to months after resolution of the acute infection. Furthermore, there may be cardiovascular complications in affected patients, the consequences of which can lead to muscle contractility disorders, vascular insufficiency, cardiac arrest, reinforcing the need for controlled, randomized studies, as well as follow-up and monitoring of these. Furthermore, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are part of the health problems that lead to the most deaths in the world, they also lead to a high proportion of hospital admissions, due to the worsening of the pathology and a higher incidence in the elderly population. The worsening of CVD conditions leads to inadequate food consumption at the hospital level, causing changes in several nutrients, including vitamin B12. The reduction in B12 levels leads to changes in several systems, including the cardiovascular system, and due to the increase in homocysteine and the triggering of the inflammatory cascade. Studies indicate that B12 supplementation through Chlorella (microalgae - functional food) reduced cardiovascular risk and modulated the inflammatory cascade. In combination, neurostimulation has presented aspects that promote pain neuromodulation, due to the improvement of respiratory patterns and inflammatory modulation. More specifically, there is a protocol with promoting findings, this being HD-tDCS. In this sense, this research aims to evaluate the effects of HD-tDCS and the consumption of Chlorella Pyrenoidosa to improve B12 levels in patients with cardiovascular risk post-COVID-19.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

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.

Detailed Description

This study is an open label research, clinical trial, double blind, placebo controlled, and randomized, involving assistance to patients at risk of cardiovascular disease, in outpatient care (Continue Caring Project). Included in the research are adults and elderly participants at cardiovascular risk, whose initial diagnosis for hospitalization was due to COVID-19 and at the hospital level those admitted for treatment in the Intensive Care Unit or ward with heart disease who are eligible for neurostimulation by HD-tDCS. Patients will be randomly allocated into an experimental and control group for HD-tDCS and also to receive the functional food. The protocol will be HD-tDCS (lasting 20 minutes of 4x1 tDCS-HD) positioning the central electrode in the left primary motor cortex (M1) with anodal stimulus, twice a week; nutritional monitoring; collection of laboratory tests (at the beginning and end of treatment) and the group that will receive the functional food will be provided with 10 tablets of Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (5g/day) containing 4mcg of B12, organic pressed into tablets (Registration with ANVISA/MS : 6,7273,000) for five weeks.

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 (Estimated)

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.
60

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.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Brazil
    • Paraíba
      • João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, 58015-150

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with cardiovascular diagnosis or risk;
  • Adults and elderly people (18 to 80 years old);
  • Able to respond to commands and grant consent to participate in the research through the informed consent form;
  • Who have post-COVID symptoms.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with a clinical history of neuromuscular or cognitive instability, pregnancy and contraindications for receiving neurostimulation (such as cardiac pacemakers and metallic brain implants);
  • Patients with contraindications to the use of Chlorella (gastritis, esophagitis, peptic ulcers),
  • Pregnant patients, patients with stroke and tumors

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: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

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: Experimental HD-tDCs
Patients will be randomly enrolled into this group. They will receive stimulation in the portion of the left primary motor cortex (M1) by HD-tDCS (lasting 20 minutes of 4x1 tDCS-HD) with anodal stimulus, twice a week for five weeks. The electric current will be supplied with an acceleration time of 30 seconds and will be maintained for 20 minutes and then reduced by 30 seconds
Other: High Definition-transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique, is non-invasive, targeted, safety.
Experimental: Experimental HD-tDCS and Chlorella
Patients will be randomly enrolled into this group. They will receive stimulation in the portion of the left primary motor cortex (M1) by HD-tDCS (lasting 20 minutes of 4x1 tDCS-HD) with anodal stimulus, twice a week for five weeks. The electric current will be supplied with an acceleration time of 30 seconds and will be maintained for 20 minutes and then reduced by 30 seconds. In addition, they will receive functional food that will be provided in the form of 10 tablets per day of Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (5g/day) containing 4mcg of B12, organically pressed into tablets (Registration with ANVISA/MS: 6.7273.000) for five weeks.
Other: High Definition-transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique, is non-invasive, targeted, safety.
Dietary supplement: Chlorella Pyrenoidosa
functional food, organically pressed into tablets (Registration with ANVISA/MS: 6.7273.000)
Experimental: Experimental Chlorella
Patients will be randomly enrolled into this group. They will receive the functional food that will be provided in the form of 10 tablets per day of Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (5g/day) containing 4mcg of B12, organically pressed into tablets (Registration with ANVISA/MS: 6.7273.000) for five weeks.
Dietary supplement: Chlorella Pyrenoidosa
functional food, organically pressed into tablets (Registration with ANVISA/MS: 6.7273.000)
Sham Comparator: Placebo/Sham
Patients allocated to this group will receive a simulated 3mA current with 30 seconds of acceleration and 30 seconds of deceleration minutes of anodal HD-tDCS (4x1) for 10 sessions (twice a week in five weeks) and/or Placebo with maltodextrin (5g/day) being 10 capsules per day for five weeks.
Other: High Definition-transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique, is non-invasive, targeted, safety.
Dietary supplement: Chlorella Pyrenoidosa
functional food, organically pressed into tablets (Registration with ANVISA/MS: 6.7273.000)

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
Change B12 by blood analysis biochemical
Time Frame: After five week of the group of research start
Change B12 (above 148pmol/L)
After five week of the group of research start

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
Change Methylmalonic Acid and Homocysteine
Time Frame: After five week of the group of research start
Change blood levels of Methylmalonic Acid and Homocysteine (below 270nmol/L and 12mmol/L, respectively)
After five week of the group of research start

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.
Federal University of Paraíba

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
City University of New York

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.
August 10, 2021

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 28, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
June 28, 2024

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).
February 11, 2024

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.
February 11, 2024

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.
February 13, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

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.
March 5, 2024

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.
March 1, 2024

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.
March 1, 2024

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.
  • HD-tDCS/Chlorella

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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