- ICH GCP
- US Clinical Trials Registry
- Clinical Trial NCT05576129
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to Improve Motor Skill Acquisition in Stroke Patients
Theta-gamma Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to Modulate Activity in Sensorimotor Cortex for Improvement of Motor Skill Acquisition in Stroke Patients
Study Overview
Detailed Description
Hand motor function is often severely affected in stroke patients and recovery of function is a primary goal in stroke rehabilitative treatment programs. Recently, theta-gamma tACS has been shown to enhance motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals [Akkad et al.2021]. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of theta-gamma tACS on motor skill acquisition in chronic stroke patients.
In a randomized, controlled, triple-blind trial, chronic stroke patients with an initially impaired hand motor function will receive either (i) theta-gamma peak stimulation (TGP) or (ii) sham stimulation. TGP stimulation significantly improved motor learning in the study by Akkad et al (2021) compared to sham stimulation. tACS will be delivered through a five-electrode montage centered over the sensorimotor cortex on the lesioned side of the brain for approximately 38 min. During stimulation patients will perform a motor skill acquisition task performed with the affected hand. The task consists of short repetitive trials in which participants alternately press two buttons with their thumb. It is designed in a way that participants can improve their performance, more precisely the speed of button presses, and are encouraged to do so. To reduce skin sensations beneath the stimulation electrodes and thereby improve blinding compared to sham stimulation, a local anesthetic consisting of lidocaine and prilocaine will be administered underneath the stimulation electrodes.
Based on the results of the study by Akkad et al. (2021) and on the assumption that theta-gamma phase amplitude coupling is a key mechanism for motor skill acquisition, the investigators hypothesize that motor skill acquisition will differ significantly between the TGP and sham group.
Study Type
Enrollment (Actual)
Phase
- Not Applicable
Contacts and Locations
Study Contact
- Name: Fanny Quandt, Dr.
- Phone Number: +497410 0
- Email: f.quandt@uke.de
Study Contact Backup
- Name: Bettina Schwab, PhD
- Email: b.c.schwab@utwente.nl
Study Locations
-
-
-
Hamburg, Germany, 20246
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
-
-
Participation Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- German-speaking
- ability to perform a thumb movement task with the affected hand
- first-ever clinical ischemic stroke in the chronic phase
- persistent mild motor deficit of the upper extremity or motor deficit of the upper extremity in the acute phase over >24h
Exclusion Criteria:
- pronounced cognitive deficits
- history of major neurological or psychiatric illness other than stroke
- epilepsy or epileptic seizure in the history
- any devices or implants in the head region (e.g. cochlear implant, aneurysm clips),
- implanted pacemaker or medical pumps
- intake of psychotropic medication
- allergy to any ingredient of the local anesthetic cream
- pregnancy
Study Plan
How is the study designed?
Design Details
- Primary Purpose: Basic Science
- Allocation: Randomized
- Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
- Masking: Triple
Arms and Interventions
Participant Group / Arm |
Intervention / Treatment |
---|---|
Active Comparator: TGP-tACS
Patients perform a motor skill acquisition task with the affected hand during TGP-stimulation over the sensorimotor cortex on the lesioned side.
|
38 min and 20s of 4mA peak-to-peak theta-gamma stimulation with 75 Hz-gamma coupled to the peak of 6Hz-theta waves. 3s ramp-up at the beginning of stimulation and 3s ramp-down at the end of stimulation. Administered using a Starstim® device and 5 gel electrodes with a πcm² area. |
Sham Comparator: Sham-tACS
Patients perform a motor skill acquisition task with the affected hand during sham-stimulation over the sensorimotor cortex on the lesioned side.
|
38 min and 20s of alternation between 10s of 4mA peak-to-peak TGP- tACS and a 6 min 30s stimulation-free interval.
Each stimulation consists of 3s ramp-up, 4s TGP stimulation and 3s ramp-down.
Administered using a Starstim® device and 5 gel electrodes with a πcm² area.
|
What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Motor Skill Acquisition
Time Frame: Over the course of the motor task with a duration of 38 minutes and 20 seconds.
|
Quotient of mean "Duration of Button Presses" of the best block and the baseline block.
Best block is defined as the block with the lowest mean "Duration of Button Presses".
"Duration of Button Press" is the Duration between the first and fourth button press of a valid trial.
|
Over the course of the motor task with a duration of 38 minutes and 20 seconds.
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
Duration of Button Presses
Time Frame: Baseline (consisting of 20 trials) and each of 6 blocks (consisting of 40 trials each)
|
Time span from first to last button press of a trial.
Averaged for all trials of one block
|
Baseline (consisting of 20 trials) and each of 6 blocks (consisting of 40 trials each)
|
Other Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
---|---|---|
"Thumb Speed" and "Thumb Acceleration"
Time Frame: Over the course of the motor task with a duration of 38 minutes and 20 seconds.
|
An accelerometer will be fixed to the medial distal phalanx of the thumb.
It measures the thumb acceleration in all three dimensions of space.
We will use the accelerometer data for post-hoc explorative analysis.
|
Over the course of the motor task with a duration of 38 minutes and 20 seconds.
|
Collaborators and Investigators
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Fanny Quandt, Dr., Department of Neurology; University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Principal Investigator: Bettina Schwab, PhD, Biomedical Signals and Systems, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Publications and helpful links
Study record dates
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
Primary Completion (Actual)
Study Completion (Actual)
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
First Posted (Actual)
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
Last Verified
More Information
Terms related to this study
Keywords
Additional Relevant MeSH Terms
Other Study ID Numbers
- CFC_tACS_Stroke
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
IPD Plan Description
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
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.
Clinical Trials on Stroke
-
University Hospital, GhentRecruitingStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke, Acute | Stroke Sequelae | Stroke HemorrhagicBelgium
-
Moleac Pte Ltd.RecruitingStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke Sequelae | Stroke, Cardiovascular | Strokes Thrombotic | Stroke, Embolic | Stroke, CryptogenicSingapore, Philippines
-
Moleac Pte Ltd.Not yet recruitingStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke Sequelae | Stroke, Cardiovascular | Strokes Thrombotic | Stroke, Embolic | Stroke, Cryptogenic
-
IRCCS San Camillo, Venezia, ItalyRecruitingStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke Sequelae | Stroke HemorrhagicItaly
-
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterPatient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; University of Alabama at BirminghamEnrolling by invitationStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke, Acute | Stroke Sequelae | Engagement, Patient | Stroke HemorrhagicUnited States
-
University of MinnesotaAmerican Occupational Therapy FoundationRecruitingStroke | Stroke Sequelae | Stroke Hemorrhagic | Stroke IschemicUnited States
-
University of British ColumbiaCanadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Michael Smith Foundation for...RecruitingStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke Hemorrhagic | Chronic StrokeCanada
-
University of CincinnatiMedical University of South Carolina; University of California, Los Angeles; University...RecruitingStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke, Acute | Stroke HemorrhagicUnited States
-
Turkish Stroke Research and Clinical Trials NetworkElectroCore INC; Turkish Neurological SocietyCompletedStroke | Stroke, Ischemic | Stroke, Acute | Stroke, HemorrhagicTurkey
-
University of LiegeCompletedStroke, Acute | Stroke Hemorrhagic | Stroke, ComplicationBelgium
Clinical Trials on TGP-tACS
-
The University of Texas Health Science Center,...Not yet recruiting
-
Medical College of WisconsinRecruiting
-
University of North Carolina, Chapel HillNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); National Institutes of Health (NIH)Completed
-
xjpfWCancer Institute and Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; First Hospital... and other collaboratorsCompleted
-
The University of Texas Health Science Center,...Not yet recruiting
-
University of North Carolina, Chapel HillNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)CompletedSchizophrenia | Schizo Affective DisorderUnited States
-
University of North Carolina, Chapel HillNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)CompletedExecutive Function | Cognitive ControlUnited States
-
University of North Carolina, Chapel HillNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)CompletedChronic Low Back PainUnited States
-
IRCCS San Camillo, Venezia, ItalyCampus Bio-Medico UniversityRecruiting
-
University of North Carolina, Chapel HillNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)CompletedDepression | Major Depressive Disorder | Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder | Depressive EpisodeUnited States