Modulation of Visual-Spatial Learning in Healthy Older Adults by tDCS

January 29, 2018 updated by: Agnes Flöel, Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Modulation of Visual-Spatial Learning in Healthy Older Adults by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation - Proof of Principle and Mechanisms

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) leads to an improvement of learning and memory in healthy older adults and to examine the underlying neuronal mechanism.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

32

Phase

  • 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 Locations

  • Germany
      • Berlin, Germany, 10117
        • Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

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

Ages Eligible for Study

50 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria (old healthy controls):

  • right handedness
  • unobtrusive neuropsychological screening
  • age: 50-90 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • severe internal or psychiatric disease
  • epilepsy
  • other severe neurological diseases, e.g. previous major stroke or brain tumor
  • DMS-IV manifest dementia
  • contraindication for MRT (claustrophobia, metallic implants, tattoos)

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 Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Sham Comparator: training + sham stimulation
Combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with sham stimulation
Device: tDCS
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Behavioral: training
intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (in LOCATO task)
Experimental: training + tDCS
Combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Device: tDCS
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Behavioral: training
intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (in LOCATO task)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Performance in LOCATO task (Visual-Spatial learning and memory) after a combination of intensive visual-spatial training and tDCS
Time Frame: immediately after the end of a 3 day training period in tDCS condition compared to sham condition
Investigation whether the combination of intensive visual-spatial training (LOCATO task) and tDCS leads to an improvement of visual-spatial learning and memory measured by performance in LOCATO task after end of a 3 day training period compared to sham stimulation.
immediately after the end of a 3 day training period in tDCS condition compared to sham condition

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
memory
Time Frame: immediately after end of 3-day of cognitive training, after 1 month vs. baseline
memory performance tested at baseline compared to memory performance after the end of a 3-day cognitive training period and after 1 month (posttraining) in training and stimulation vs. training and sham stimulation
immediately after end of 3-day of cognitive training, after 1 month vs. baseline
affective state
Time Frame: immediately after the end of 3-day cognitive training, after 1 month vs. baseline
affective state measured at baseline compared to affective state measured after the end of a 3-day cognitve training period and after 1 month (posttraining) in training and stimulation vs. training and sham stimulation
immediately after the end of 3-day cognitive training, after 1 month vs. baseline
genotyping of learning related polymorphisms
Time Frame: once
To assess predictors of positive reaction to brain stimulation, genotyping of several learning related polymorphisms will be performed (i.e., APOE, BDNF Val66Met, COMT Val158Met).
once
long term effects
Time Frame: after 1 month vs baseline
long term effects measured by performance in LOCATO task after end of training and after 1 month compared to control condition
after 1 month vs baseline
functional changes: Connectivity
Time Frame: after end of 3-day period of training vs baseline
Connectivity (measured by resting-state fMRT and correlation analysis) at baseline compared to end of 3 day period of training
after end of 3-day period of training vs baseline
cortical excitability
Time Frame: at baseline
measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at baseline
at baseline
Quality of life
Time Frame: after 1 month vs baseline
quality of life as measured by standardized questionaire at baseline compared to quality of life measured 1 month after intervention (training and stimulation vs. training and sham-stimualtion)
after 1 month vs baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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

March 1, 2014

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 13, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 8, 2014

First Posted (Estimate)

April 10, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 30, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 29, 2018

Last Verified

January 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • LOCATO-OA-tDCS

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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