Remotely Supervised tDCS for Slowing ALS Disease Progression

Remotely Supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Slowing Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Most ALS care is centered on patient support and symptom management, making rehabilitation an integral aspect for slowing disease progression, prolonging life span, and increasing quality of life. Brain stimulation has been increasingly explored as a promising neuromodulatory tool to prime motor function in several neurological disorders. We propose a novel mechanism using remotely supervised brain stimulation to preserve motor function in individuals with ALS. This project will also aim to explore the effectiveness of brain stimulation on upper and lower motor neuron mechanisms in individuals with ALS.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Other: Sham tDCS + anodal tDCS

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60305
      • Brain Plasticity Lab

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of possible, probable, or definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis according to El Escorial revised criteria
• Spinal onset ALS with initial weakness in the upper or lower extremity.
• Diagnosed with ALS within the past 5 years
• 1-2 point change in pre-slope of the ALSFRS-R at time of enrollment (ratio of drop in score from 48 to the duration in months from onset of weakness)
• Score ≥ 2 for "swallowing" of the ALSFRS-R
• Score ≥ 2 for "walking" of the ALSFRS-R
• Able to provide informed consent
• Stable dose of riluzole, edaravone, AMX0035 (Relyvrio) or no medications
• Availability of a caregiver for remote administration of tDCS

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subject has bulbar onset ALS
• Any neurological diagnosis other than ALS
• Psychiatric disorders
• Any other concomitant disease that affects prognosis of ALS inclusive of systemic disease, cardiovascular disease, hepatic or renal disorder
• Tracheostomal or noninvasive ventilation for more than 12 hours per day
• Enrollment in an on-going ALS pharmaceutical trial
• Subject plans on moving within 6 months.

TMS Exclusion Criteria:

• Implanted cardiac pacemaker
• Metal implants in the head or face
• Unexplained, recurring headaches
• History of seizures or epilepsy
• Currently under medication that could increase motor excitability and lower seizure threshold
• Skull abnormalities or fractures
• Concussion within the last 6 months
• Currently pregnant
• tDCS Exclusion Criteria:
• Skin hypersensitivity
• History of contact dermatitis
• History of allodynia and/or hyperalgesia
• Any other skin or scalp condition that could be aggravated by tDCS

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Facilitatory transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)	Other: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS); Noninvasive brain stimulation; Other Names: Soterix Medical 1X1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator
Sham Comparator: Delayed-Start Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Control Group; Sham tDCS followed by a switch to anodal tDCS.	Other: Sham tDCS + anodal tDCS; Fake noninvasive brain stimulation or anodal noninvasive brain stimulation; Other Names: Soterix Medical 1X1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Revised ALS Functioning Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R)	This questionnaire evaluates function over time and disease progression in ALS patients with questions related to daily activities such as speech, swallowing, walking, etc. Scores range between 0-48 with higher scores corresponding to more function being retained.	Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Gait Speed	Self-selected will be measured as the average walking speed from 2 trials of the 10-m walk test (10MWT).	Change from baseline to immediately after training
Ankle Motor Control	The participant will track a computer-generated sinusoidal target with ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion in a custom-built ankle-tracking device. Accuracy of tracking the target with ankle motion will be calculated.	Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up.
Quality of Life With EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D)	Quality of life will be measured with the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), a questionnaire with questions designed to assess aspects of quality of life.	Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up.
EuroQual-Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS)	Quality of life will be measured using a visual analog scale with endpoints labeled, 'The best health you can imagine' and 'the worst health you can imagine' in response to questions related to aspects of quality of life. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating better self-rated health status."	Change from baseline to immediately after training
Fatigue Severity Scale	9-item scale measuring severity of fatigue and its effect on participant's daily activities and lifestyle with higher scores representing more fatigue and fatigue playing a larger role in daily activities. Minimum score = 0 and maximum score = 63.	Change from baseline to immediately after training.
Upper and Lower Motor Neuron Mechanisms Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)	Upper and lower motor neuron mechanisms of the tibialis anterior will be measured using single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Measures may include motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude, latency, and/or cortical silent period.	Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up.
Upper and Lower Motor Neuron Mechanisms Using Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS)	Upper and lower motor neuron mechanisms in ALS will also be assessed using peripheral nerve stimulation at either the knee or the elbow.	Change from baseline to immediately after training and baseline to 3 months follow up.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Chicago
• Collaborators: University of Chicago
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sangeetha Madhavan, University of Illinois at Chicago

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 27, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): January 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 30, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 26, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): April 30, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 7, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 21, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Neuromuscular Diseases; Disease Attributes; Metabolic Diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Spinal Cord Diseases; TDP-43 Proteinopathies; Proteostasis Deficiencies; Sclerosis; Disease Progression; Motor Neuron Disease; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2021-0097

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
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No