Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Cortical Plasticity in Patients With Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis

NCT ID: NCT01865578

Last Updated: 2016-03-17

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-04-30

Brief Summary

Patients suffering from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis show impaired NMDA-receptor dependent neuronal transmission. Furthermore, they often have cognitive deficits of different magnitude. Impaired neuronal signaling of NMDA-receptors very likely result in decreased cortical synaptic plasticity. Thus, this represents one major reason of cognitive deficits. Synaptic plasticity can be assessed in humans via the non-invasive technique of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

The current study aims to investigate whether learning ability and also cortical plasticity can be changed by applying sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Therefore, we are recruiting 10 to 15 patients suffering from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis as well as healthy controls in order to compare tDCS effects. Learning ability is assessed by motor sequence tasks, whereas cortical plasticity is measured via TMS.

tDCS is a novel non-invasive technique allowing induction of changes in cerebral excitability level and also cortical plasticity. Previous studies showed positive outcome of anodal stimulation on learning tasks. Especially motor learning seems to be an important target for tDCS treatment since it showed best results for both post-stroke patients and healthy subjects. Multiple sessions of tDCS are inducing long-term effects and improved learning function, which were present three months after stimulation.

In this study we hope to reveals new insights into the pathomechanisms of impaired cognitive and learning abilities in patients having anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Moreover, we evaluate whether tDCS is an effective treatment for patients with cognitive and learning deficits.

Conditions

Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

tDCS

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation involves the application of weak electric currents to the brain.

sham stimulation

sham stimulation

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham Stimulation

Intervention Type: DEVICE

no electrical stimulation

Interventions

tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation involves the application of weak electric currents to the brain.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Sham Stimulation

no electrical stimulation

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients suffering from anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis
• healthy (control) subjects

Exclusion Criteria

• Any metal inside the body/head, e.g. clips, pace maker, medical pumps, cochlear implant etc.
• Traumatic brain injury
• Stroke
• Cerebral tumor
• Pregnancy
• untreated severe internal or psychiatric diseases

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Charite University, Berlin, Germany

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Agnes Flöel

Prof. Dr. med Agnes Floeel

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Agnes Floeel, Prof. MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Charite University

Locations

Charite University Medicine

Berlin, State of Berlin, Germany

Countries

Germany

References

Volz MS, Finke C, Harms L, Jurek B, Paul F, Floel A, Pruss H. Altered paired associative stimulation-induced plasticity in NMDAR encephalitis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2016 Jan 16;3(2):101-13. doi: 10.1002/acn3.277. eCollection 2016 Feb.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 26900584 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

EA1/037/12

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id