CONCIENCIA Estimulación Eléctrica Transcraneal (CONTEST_3)
Efecto de la Estimulación Eléctrica Transcraneal en la Conciencia de Pacientes No Comunicantes.
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) at theta frequency and the the effect of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on the conscious state of non-communicating patients. tACS and tDCS are non-invasive stimulation techniques that are used to induce brain oscillations at certain frequency or to increase the brain activity in applied region.
Limited treatments are available to improve consciousness in severely brain injured patients. Transcranial Direct Current stimulation (tDCS) is one of the few therapeutics that showed evidence of efficacy to increase level of consciousness and functional communication in some Minimally Conscious State (MCS) patients, and in some Vegetative State (VS) patients. However the optimal intensity of electrical current stimulation remains unknown and transcranial Alternative Current Stimulation (tACS), with the ability to stimulate cortex at specific frequencies and to manipulate phase-synchrony between regions is a promising techniques to improve patients' consciousness.
In this study, the investigators will use prefrontal tDCS and theta tACS to improve patients consciousness level.
Descripción general del estudio
Estado
Condiciones
Descripción detallada
This study is constituted of two independent sub-studies investigating two types of stimulation (tDCS and tACS) with the same cross-over design
Study design The study design is composed of two experimental sessions, one active stimulation and one sham comparator. Sessions will be randomized in a double-blind randomized crossover design (neither the participant nor the experimenter knows which session includes which stimulation type), with at least 2 days of interval between them.
In these sessions, the patients' state of consciousness participants will first be determined using the dedicated Coma Recovery Scale - Revised (Giacino, Neurology 2002) (CRS-R) scale before stimulation. Resting state brain activity EEG and cognitive auditory paradigm (local-global paradigm, Bekinschtein, PNAS 2009) will also be recorded before stimulation.
Twenty minutes stimulation will then be performed (see below). CRS-R, resting state EEG and local-global paradigm will be repeated after stimulation.
Outcome measures will be the same in the two studies. The primary outcome will be the change of CRS-R between before and after stimulation. Secondary outcomes will be the neurophysiological correlates of consciousness in resting state EEG and during the local global paradigm.
tACS stimulation During tACS sessions, 6 Hz stimulation (1000 μA) will be applied simultaneously over the left prefrontal dorso-lateral cortex (F3 of the 10-20 international scalp EEG system) and the left parietal cortex (P3) using an 8-channels stimulator (Starstim NE, Neuroelectrics, Barcelona, Spain) with small round sponge electrodes (25 cm2 surface, maximal current density of 0.06 μA/cm2), controlled via Bluetooth. In the in-phase condition, the phase difference between the two stimulation sites will be 0° which will entrain synchronization between sites. In the sham condition, the stimulation will start with a current intensity of 1000 μA lasting for 30 seconds. Afterwards, the intensity will progressively decrease over 20 seconds until cessation. Each stimulation session will take 20 minutes and the positions of stimulation electrodes and the duration of the stimulation will be kept identical for all conditions.
tDCS stimulation During tDCS session, 2000 μA stimulation will be applied over the left prefrontal dorso-lateral cortex (F3 of the 10-20 international scalp EEG system) (Starstim NE, Neuroelectrics, Barcelona, Spain) with small round sponge electrodes (25 cm2 surface, maximal current density of 0.06 μA/cm2), controlled via Bluetooth. In the sham condition, the stimulation will start with a current intensity of 2000 μA lasting for 30 seconds. Afterwards, the intensity will progressively decrease over 20 seconds until cessation. Each stimulation session will take 20 minutes and the positions of stimulation electrodes and the duration of the stimulation will be kept identical for all conditions.
Tipo de estudio
Inscripción (Actual)
Fase
- No aplica
Contactos y Ubicaciones
Ubicaciones de estudio
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Paris, Francia, 75013
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle - CR-ICM U 975 / UMRS INSERM 1127
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Criterios de participación
Criterio de elegibilidad
Edades elegibles para estudiar
Acepta Voluntarios Saludables
Géneros elegibles para el estudio
Descripción
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age between 18 and 80 years
- Non communicative patients with disorder of consciousness diagnosed by CRS-R (VS, MCS, exitMCS)
- Patients with stable clinical examination (even in intensive care)
- Brain injury confirmed by cerebral imaging (MRI or TDM)
- French social security affiliation
- Signed and informed consent by the patient or by a legal representant
Exclusion Criteria:
- Status epilepticus or uncontrolled epilepsy
- Severely neurodegenerative illnesses (Alzheimer disease, Lewy Body Dementia)
- Electrical stimulation contraindication (metallic intra-cranial implants, pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, cranial prosthesis)
- Pregnant, parturient or breastfeeding women- Patients underage
Plan de estudios
¿Cómo está diseñado el estudio?
Detalles de diseño
- Propósito principal: Tratamiento
- Asignación: Aleatorizado
- Modelo Intervencionista: Asignación cruzada
- Enmascaramiento: Cuadruplicar
Armas e Intervenciones
Grupo de participantes/brazo |
Intervención / Tratamiento |
|---|---|
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Experimental: In-phase 6 Hz prefronto-parietal tACS
6 Hz stimulation (1000 μA) with transcranial Alternative Current Stimulation (tACS) will be applied simultaneously over the left prefrontal dorso-lateral cortex (F3 of the 10-20 international scalp EEG system) and the left parietal cortex (P3 of the 10-20 international scalp EEG system, with a return electrode in Cz) for 20 minutes. The phase difference between the two stimulation sites will be 0°. |
tACS is a non-invasive stimulation technique that works by delivering a weak sinusoidally oscillating electrical current to the surface of the skull to entrain oscillations in the brain. |
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Comparador falso: Sham prefronto-parietal tACS
The same stimulation as in in-phase transcranial Alternative Current Stimulation tACS (6 Hz F3 and P3 stimulation with 0° phase difference) will start with a current intensity of 1000 μA lasting for 30 seconds. Afterwards, the intensity will progressively decrease over 20 seconds until cessation. The whole session duration is 20 minutes. |
tACS is a non-invasive stimulation technique that works by delivering a weak sinusoidally oscillating electrical current to the surface of the skull to entrain oscillations in the brain. |
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Experimental: 2 mA left prefrontal tDCS
2000 μA anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) will be applied over the left prefrontal dorso-lateral cortex (F3 of the 10-20 international scalp EEG system with a right supraorbital return electrode (Fp2 of the 10-20 international scalp EEG system) during 20 minutes. |
tDCS is a form of neuromodulation method where very low levels of constant current are delivered to specifically targeted areas of the brain |
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Comparador falso: Sham left prefrontal tDCS
The same stimulation as active transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) (anodal F3 and return in Fp2) will start at 2 mA intensity for 30 seconds. Afterwards, the intensity will progressively decrease over 20 seconds until cessation. The whole session duration is 20 minutes. |
tDCS is a form of neuromodulation method where very low levels of constant current are delivered to specifically targeted areas of the brain |
¿Qué mide el estudio?
Medidas de resultado primarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
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State of consciousness
Periodo de tiempo: Two time points: immediately before (baseline) and immediately after stimulation (post-stimulation)
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Change of the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised scores (CRS-R, Giacino et al. Neurology 2002 and Kalmar et al., Neuropsychol Rehabil 2005) between before and after stimulation (CRS-R post stimulation - CRS-R before stimulation). The CRS-R score is a qualitative and quantitative scales ranking predefined behaviors elicited by the patients in the following six subscales, auditory function, visual function, motor function, verbal and oromotor function, communication and wakefulness, the sum of which give a total score ranging from 0 to 23. Higher values of the scale mean a better state of consciousness. This change in state of consciousness will be compared between active stimulation and sham stimulation |
Two time points: immediately before (baseline) and immediately after stimulation (post-stimulation)
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Medidas de resultado secundarias
Medida de resultado |
Medida Descripción |
Periodo de tiempo |
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Evoked response potential during local-global paradigm
Periodo de tiempo: Two time points: immediately before (baseline) and immediately after stimulation (post-stimulation)
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Change of the ERPS recorded during the "local global" auditory paradigm (Bekinschtein et al., PNAS 2009) |
Two time points: immediately before (baseline) and immediately after stimulation (post-stimulation)
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Resting state EEG
Periodo de tiempo: Two time points: immediately before (baseline) and immediately after stimulation (post-stimulation)
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Change from baseline of the multivariate automatic classification of conscious state from EEG (Sitt et al., Brain et al. 2014) |
Two time points: immediately before (baseline) and immediately after stimulation (post-stimulation)
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Colaboradores e Investigadores
Investigadores
- Investigador principal: Bertrand Hermann, MD, CR-ICM U 975 /UMRS INSERM 1127
- Investigador principal: Jacobo D Sitt, MD, PhD, CR-ICM U 975 /UMRS INSERM 1127
- Investigador principal: Lionel Naccache, MD, PhD, CR-ICM U 975 /UMRS INSERM 1127
Publicaciones y enlaces útiles
Publicaciones Generales
- Giacino JT, Ashwal S, Childs N, Cranford R, Jennett B, Katz DI, Kelly JP, Rosenberg JH, Whyte J, Zafonte RD, Zasler ND. The minimally conscious state: definition and diagnostic criteria. Neurology. 2002 Feb 12;58(3):349-53. doi: 10.1212/wnl.58.3.349.
- Polania R, Nitsche MA, Korman C, Batsikadze G, Paulus W. The importance of timing in segregated theta phase-coupling for cognitive performance. Curr Biol. 2012 Jul 24;22(14):1314-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.05.021. Epub 2012 Jun 7.
- Thibaut A, Bruno MA, Ledoux D, Demertzi A, Laureys S. tDCS in patients with disorders of consciousness: sham-controlled randomized double-blind study. Neurology. 2014 Apr 1;82(13):1112-8. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000260. Epub 2014 Feb 26.
- Kalmar K, Giacino JT. The JFK Coma Recovery Scale--Revised. Neuropsychol Rehabil. 2005 Jul-Sep;15(3-4):454-60. doi: 10.1080/09602010443000425.
- Sangare A, Munoz-Musat E, Hermann B, Herault C, Belloli L, Breton M, Borden A, Ben Salah A, Valente M, Demeret S, Rohaut B, Sitt JD, Naccache L. Prefrontal tDCS modulates behavioural and neural signatures associated with consciousness. Neuroimage. 2026 Aug 1;336:122015. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.122015. Epub 2026 May 22.
Fechas de registro del estudio
Fechas importantes del estudio
Inicio del estudio (Actual)
Finalización primaria (Actual)
Finalización del estudio (Actual)
Fechas de registro del estudio
Enviado por primera vez
Primero enviado que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
Publicado por primera vez (Actual)
Actualizaciones de registros de estudio
Última actualización publicada (Actual)
Última actualización enviada que cumplió con los criterios de control de calidad
Última verificación
Más información
Términos relacionados con este estudio
Palabras clave
Términos MeSH relevantes adicionales
- Manifestaciones neurológicas
- Enfermedades Cerebrales
- Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso Central
- Enfermedades del Sistema Nervioso
- Desordenes mentales
- Heridas y Lesiones
- Manifestaciones neuroconductuales
- Trastornos neurocognitivos
- Trauma craneoencefálico
- Trauma, Sistema Nervioso
- Condiciones Patológicas, Signos y Síntomas
- Signos y síntomas
- Lesiones Cerebrales
- Trastornos de la conciencia
Otros números de identificación del estudio
- C17-56
- 2017-A02763-50 (Identificador de registro: ID RCB)
Plan de datos de participantes individuales (IPD)
¿Planea compartir datos de participantes individuales (IPD)?
Información sobre medicamentos y dispositivos, documentos del estudio
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