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

Healthy Older Adults Clinical Trial

Official title:

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

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02110056
• Other study ID #: LOCATO-OA-tDCS
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: February 13, 2014
• Last updated: January 29, 2018
• Start date: March 2014
• Est. completion date: November 2015

Study information

• Verified date: January 2018
• Source: Charite University, Berlin, Germany
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

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.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 32
• Est. completion date: November 2015
• Est. primary completion date: November 2015
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 50 Years to 90 Years

Eligibility

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)

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Healthy Older Adults

Intervention

Device:
• tDCS
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Behavioral:
• training
intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (in LOCATO task)

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Germany	Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin	Berlin

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Germany, 

References & Publications (2)

Antonenko D, Külzow N, Cesarz ME, Schindler K, Grittner U, Flöel A. Hippocampal Pathway Plasticity Is Associated with the Ability to Form Novel Memories in Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci. 2016 Mar 22;8:61. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00061. eCollection 20 — View Citation

Antonenko D, Külzow N, Sousa A, Prehn K, Grittner U, Flöel A. Neuronal and behavioral effects of multi-day brain stimulation and memory training. Neurobiol Aging. 2018 Jan;61:245-254. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.09.017. Epub 2017 Sep 28. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Performance in LOCATO task (Visual-Spatial learning and memory) after a combination of intensive visual-spatial training and tDCS	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	long term effects	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
Secondary	functional changes: Connectivity	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
Secondary	cortical excitability	measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at baseline	at baseline
Secondary	Quality of life	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
Secondary	memory	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
Secondary	affective state	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
Secondary	genotyping of learning related polymorphisms	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