Promoting Adaptive Neuroplasticity in Mild Cognitive Impairment

NCT ID: NCT02155946

Last Updated: 2023-11-30

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

107 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-12-01

Study Completion Date

2021-03-31

Brief Summary

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The aging US population threatens to overwhelm our healthcare infrastructure, especially since the rate of Alzheimer's disease (AD) alone is expected to triple in the coming decades. Memory cause functional impairment, reduced quality of life, increased caregiver burnout, and eventual institutionalization. The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) identifies those with memory deficits but who remain relatively independent in everyday life. MCI provides a window for interventions that target memory functioning. The proposed study focuses specifically on a groundbreaking combination of mnemonic rehabilitation and non-invasive brain stimulation. The main idea is that brain stimulation can enhance functioning in the specific brain regions/networks, thereby increasing the patients' ability to benefit from different types of memory rehabilitation. This will be a randomized, double-blind study (active vs. fake brain stimulation), that provides multiple treatment session. Outcome will be examined using both laboratory-based and real-world memory testing as well as brain imaging. This first-of-its-kind study has the potential to meaningfully translate more "basic" science findings into neuroanatomically targeted and functionally meaningful treatments for our aging population.

Detailed Description

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Enrollment and interactions/interventions are temporarily paused due to COVID-19 and are expected to resume in the future. This is not a suspension of IRB approval.

The proposed study focuses specifically on a groundbreaking combination of mnemonic rehabilitation and non-invasive brain stimulation. The main idea is that brain stimulation can enhance functioning in the specific brain regions/networks, thereby increasing the patients' ability to benefit from memory rehabilitation. This will be a randomized, double-blind study (active vs. fake brain stimulation), that provides multiple treatment session. Outcome will be examined using both laboratory-based and real-world memory testing as well as brain imaging. This first-of-its-kind study has the potential to meaningfully translate more "basic" science findings into neuroanatomically targeted and functionally meaningful treatments for our aging population.

The general purpose of this study is to examine the effects of two types of treatments for memory impairment in those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). One form of treatment is cognitive rehabilitation, which involves teaching new ways to learn and remember information. The second form of treatment uses a type of electrical brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to increase activity in certain brain areas that may be involved with memory. We will use brain imaging to see whether these treatments changed how individuals learn and remember information. We will also use cognitive tests and questionnaires to examine whether memory (and related abilities) changed because of treatment.

Values were updated in February 2023 after discovering coding errors in the original database. An exploratory outcome variable (effect of brain volumes) was removed at that time since the electrical field analyses are fundamentally dependent on brain volumes - the EF outcome measure remained but was modified to remove the two sham conditions since, by design, they did not receive any electric field (i.e., sham) and the statistical corrections could not be performed.

Conditions

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Mild Cognitive Impairment Alzheimer's Disease

Keywords

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Aging Alzheimer's Disease/Dementia Cognitive Disorders Imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Neurology Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation transcranial direct current stimulation

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

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active tDCS + mnemonic strategy training

Group receives active brain stimulation plus memory rehabilitation

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) Soterix Medical Inc. tDCS unit

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active brain stimulation

sham tDCS + mnemonic strategy training

Group receives sham brain stimulation plus memory rehabilitation

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) Soterix Medical Inc. tDCS unit

Intervention Type DEVICE

Sham (placebo)

active tDCS + autobiographical memory recall

Group receives active brain stimulation plus reminiscence training

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) Soterix Medical Inc. tDCS unit

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active brain stimulation

sham tDCS + autobiographical memory recall

Group receives sham brain stimulation plus reminiscence training

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) Soterix Medical Inc. tDCS unit

Intervention Type DEVICE

Sham (placebo)

Interventions

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Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) Soterix Medical Inc. tDCS unit

Active brain stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) Soterix Medical Inc. tDCS unit

Sham (placebo)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* All medications stable for approximately 2-3 months;
* No history of severe mental illness;
* No current untreated alcohol or substance abuse/dependence;
* English as native and preferred language;
* MRI-compatible if taking part in fMRI studies
* Able to give informed consent.


\- Diagnosis of amnestic MCI based on criteria set forth by Petersen (2004). Additionally, other potential causes of cognitive deficit ruled out by the referring physician

Exclusion Criteria

* History of neurological disease or injury
* History of severe mental illness
* Current untreated alcohol or substance abuse
* Other conditions may exclude; please discuss with contact
Minimum Eligible Age

50 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

88 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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VA Office of Research and Development

FED

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Benjamin M. Hampstead, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI

Locations

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VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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N1534-R

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id