tACS Improves Memory in Elders With Subjective Memory Complaints

Memory Deficits Clinical Trial

Official title:

Remember NIBS? tACS Improves Memory Performance in Elders With Subjective Memory Complaints

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05569902
• Other study ID #: tACS
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 1, 2021
• Est. completion date: August 1, 2022

Study information

• Verified date: October 2022
• Source: University of Tehran
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Subjective memory complaints (SMC), the main cognitive component of which is event memory, is a predictor of Alzheimer's disease in elderly people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with theta frequency (6 Hz) on the medial prefrontal cortex in the improvement of episodic memory in individuals with SMC in a double blind, randomized, and sham-controlled parallel study. Sixteen participants with SMC received either active or sham theta tACS on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). EEG was recorded and Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) was administered. The aim of the current study was to see if theta tACS over the mPFC can improve event memory in individuals with SMC and thus can be considered a potential therapeutic intervention for this population or not.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 16
• Est. completion date: August 1, 2022
• Est. primary completion date: June 1, 2022
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 50 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being 50 or older,
• Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) grade from 27 to 30
• Total score of 58 or more on the Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ)
• no indications of depression and anxiety measured by Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
• No sign of dementia based on Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder, 5th edition (DSM-V) criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of a major psychological or neurological condition
• History of head trauma leading to unconsciousness,
• Presence of metal in the head
• History of seizures
• Serious cardiovascular disease
• Use of medications with an impact on cognitive functions
• Recent use of alcohol or substance abuse

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Memory Deficits
• Memory Disorders

Intervention

Device:
• active tACS
transcranial alternating current stimulation is a non-invasive method of entraining specific frequency bands in the brain by applying weak intensities of electric current in a desired shape and phase to the desired brain regions.
• sham tACS
transcranial alternating current stimulation is a non-invasive method of entraining specific frequency bands in the brain by applying weak intensities of electric current in a desired shape and phase to the desired brain regions.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Iran, Islamic Republic of	National Brain Mapping Lab	Tehran

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Tehran

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Iran, Islamic Republic of, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in performance	Rey auditory-verbal learning test (RAVLT)	25 minutes i.e., before versus after the stimulation
Secondary	Change in EEG power in theta frequency band	Spectral analysis measuring power in different frequency bands	30 minutes, i.e., before versus after stimulation
Secondary	Change in phase synchronization connectivity in theta frequency band	Phase relations between neural signals realized by means of phase-locking values (PLV)	30 minutes, i.e., before versus after stimulation