Supporting Episodic Memory With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Healthy Controls and Dementia Patients

Healthy Clinical Trial

Official title:

Supporting Episodic Memory With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Healthy Young and Elderly Participants as Well as in Individuals With Memory Impairment

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Terminated

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03227185
• Other study ID #: 3351
• Secondary ID: 2016-02175
• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: October 1, 2017
• Est. completion date: October 19, 2019

Study information

• Verified date: February 2020
• Source: University of Bern
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Previous studies showed that anodal tDCS applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) improved episodic memory performance, indicating a possible use as an intervention for patients suffering from memory impairments. At the same time, only scant evidence (provided by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)) exists regarding the underlying mechanisms, thus hindering a more targeted application.

The present study aims at establishing a connection between the stimulation-induced change in episodic memory performance on the behavioural level and neurophysiological parameters. TDCS effects and the underlying mechanisms will be compared between different study conditions, receiving either real anodal tDCS or sham stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during an episodic memory task.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Terminated
• Enrollment: 55
• Est. completion date: October 19, 2019
• Est. primary completion date: October 18, 2019
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 20 Years to 85 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Written informed consent

• Right-handedness

• Non-smokers

• Native German speakers or comparable level of fluency

• Normal or corrected-to-normal vision

Exclusion Criteria:

• Neurological or psychiatric condition (other than diagnosed cognitive impairment)

• Past head injuries

• Magnetizable implants

• History of seizures

• Current or life-time alcohol or drug abuse

• Pregnancy

• Skin diseases

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alzheimer Disease
• Cognitive Dysfunction
• Healthy
• Mild Cognitive Impairment

Intervention

Device:
• real anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
The MR-compatible neuroConn DC-Stimulator MR (neuroCare Group, Ilmenau, Germany) will be used in the study.
• sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
The MR-compatible neuroConn DC-Stimulator MR (neuroCare Group, Ilmenau, Germany) will be used in the study.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Switzerland	University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy	Bern

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Bern

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Switzerland, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Episodic memory performance - learning curve	Number of encoded words during the three consecutive immediate retrievals in the encoding phase	0.25 hours
Primary	Episodic memory performance - delayed recall 1	Number of remembered words in the delayed recall after a short delay at the day of the on-site visit	20 min after encoding phase
Primary	Episodic memory performance - delayed recall 2	Number of remembered words one day after learning	1 day after on-site visit
Secondary	Neurotransmitter levels	Changes in neurotransmitter levels (gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamatergic metabolites (Glx) due to tDCS (comparing pre- and post-stimulation measurements in DLPFC)	0.5 hours