Cognitive Outcomes of Brain Stimulation As a Later-in-Life Treatment (COBALT)

This is a pilot study being done to attempt to improve episodic memory problems in persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The pre-supplemental motor area (preSMA) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) have been shown to play a role in episodic memory and language retrieval. Prior studies have suggested that neurostimulation targeting this region can improve episodic memory and word recall. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the preSMA/dACC region and its influence on word retrieval and other cognitive functions in patients with MCI. Entraining the preSMA/dACC circuit with 10 sessions of HD-tDCS will allow us to study whether neurostimulation may be an effective treatment.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment; Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment - aMCI
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: NeuroElectric StarStim; Device: Sham Treatment

Detailed Description

The research objective of this study is to examine the efficacy of HD-tDCS to the preSMa/DaCC region and its influence on word retrieval and other cognitive functions in patients with MCI after 10 sessions of HD-tDCS. There will be two treatment arms: active HD-tDCS (1 mA) and a sham group. For Phase 1, participants will receive 10 sessions of active stimulation (1 mA anodal HD-tDCS targeting preSMA/dACC for 20 min) or sham across 2 weeks. Word retrieval and other cognitive tasks will be completed at baseline, immediate follow-up after session 10, and a 2-month follow-up. For Phase 2, participants randomized into the sham group will have the opportunity to return after 2 months and receive the active treatment while being unblinded to their treatment condition. Following 10 active treatment sessions, word retrieval and other cognitive tasks will again be completed immediately following the last HD-tDCS session and then a 2-month follow-up.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 27
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Dallas, Texas, United States, 75390
      • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Active diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, Female and male subjects, All races/ethnicities, Age 55 years and older, Fluent in English,

Exclusion Criteria:

Lifetime history of major neurologic syndromes (e.g., epilepsy, brain tumor, etc), Substance use disorder within the past year, Has metal fragments in skull/head, Current vision or hearing impairment that interferes with testing, Current medication use known to alter HD-tDCS reactivity

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Phase 1: Active Treatment; Participants will receive 10 sessions of active stimulation (1 mA anodal HD-tDCS targeting preSMA/dACC for 20 min) across 2 weeks. Word retrieval and other cognitive tasks will be completed at baseline, immediate follow-up after session 10, and a 2-month follow-up	Device: NeuroElectric StarStim; 10 sessions of active stimulation (1 mA anodal HD-tDCS targeting preSMA/dACC for 20 min) across 2 weeks; Other Names: Phase 1/2 Active
Sham Comparator: Phase 1: Sham Treatment; Participants will receive 10 sessions of sham stimulation across 2 weeks. Word retrieval and other cognitive tasks will be completed at baseline, immediate follow-up after session 10, and a 2-month follow-up	Device: Sham Treatment; Sham stimulation for 10 sessions over 2 weeks
Active Comparator: Phase 2: Active Treatment; For Phase 2, participants randomized into the sham group will have the opportunity to return after 2 months from completing Phase 1. They will receive the active treatment while being unblinded to their treatment condition. Following 10 active treatment sessions, word retrieval and other cognitive tasks will again be completed immediately following the last HD-tDCS session and then a 2-month follow-up.	Device: NeuroElectric StarStim; 10 sessions of active stimulation (1 mA anodal HD-tDCS targeting preSMA/dACC for 20 min) across 2 weeks; Other Names: Phase 1/2 Active

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Score	The RAVLT is a verbal episodic memory test that is sensitive to mesial and lateral verbal episodic memory circuit dysfunction. The primary outcome measure for this task is the total number of items immediately recalled during the learning trials and after the 30 minute delayed recall trial. Changes in scores from baseline to testing immediately following the completion of the condition will be examined as well as from baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment. RAVLT : Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, 0-15 raw score for each trial (5 total trials) to be added altogether to generate a total learning score. Delayed recall trial has a raw score range of 0-15. Scores were transformed into T-scores using demographic based normative data, providing a score range from 0-100; with higher scores reflect better performance	Pre-treatment, post-treatment (immediately following last HD-tDCS session), and 8 weeks post-treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS) Verbal Fluency Test	The DKEFS Verbal Fluency Test is a measure of word retrieval. The task has 3 conditions each lasting 60 seconds, requiring the subject to name words by phonemes, semantic categories, and then switching between two semantic categories. The outcome measure for this task is the total words named for each of the 3 conditions. Changes in scores from baseline to testing immediately following the completion of each condition will be examined as well as from baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment. DKEFS: Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency Test, there are no specified limits for each trial, T-scores ranged from 20-80 across all 3 conditions; higher scores reflect better performance	Pre-treatment, post-treatment (immediately following last HD-tDCS session), and 8 weeks post-treatment
Changes in Boston Naming Test Short Form	The Boston Naming Test Short Form has 30 pictures of common objects that upon seeing each picture, individuals need to name the object as soon as one can. The outcome measure for this task is the number of correctly named items. Changes in scores from baseline to testing immediately following the completion of condition will be examined as well as from baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment. BNT: Boston Naming Test - Short Form, 0-30 total raw score to be converted to a T-score, ranging from 20-80; higher scores reflect better performance	Pre-treatment, post-treatment (immediately following last HD-tDCS session), and 8 weeks post-treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
• Collaborators: Texas Alzheimer's Research and Care Consortium

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 3, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): June 3, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 27, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 29, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): October 3, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 12, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: STU-2022-0799

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: Yes