TDCS to Improve Motivation and Memory in Elderly (TIME)

NCT ID: NCT04268186

Last Updated: 2020-02-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 72 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2020-01-22
• Study Completion Date: 2020-09-30

Brief Summary

Fundamental advancements in understanding successful aging are limited by the lack of causal, rather than just correlational methods to connect age-related changes in memory ability to changes in brain structure and function. In this study, non-invasive electric brain stimulation will be used as a tool to create causal links between successful memory function in aging and brain structures associated with motivation. Recently, it was shown that a group of elderly, dubbed "superagers", are indistinguishable from young adults in memory performance and the structure of cortical limbic regions. A key superaging region is mid-cingulate cortex (MCC), a brain structure associated with motivation and tenacity. The MCC is a hub region that synchronizes information flow between three core brain networks. The goal of the research is to explore the contribution of motivation to memory performance by modulating MCC connectivity with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to provide the first causal evidence that experimentally induced motivation can improve memory performance. Since MCC has not been stimulated with tDCS before, we will test three different stimulation protocols and compare against a placebo. The stimulation protocols were computationally optimized for this project. The primary aim is to find the stimulation protocol most successful at improving memory performance. In order to elucidate the mechanisms behind these changes, effects of stimulation on motivation and network connectivity will be investigated. If indeed memory can be improved by increasing motivation and effort via stimulating MCC, this study will generate new insights into the motivational mechanisms of successful aging.

Conditions

Motivation

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

Direct tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was computationally optimized to target mid-cingulate cortex directly.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Direct tDCS

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used is two electrodes at AFz and CPz of the 10-10 electrode system.

Indirect tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was computationally optimized to target the middle frontal gyrus, a brain area connected to mid-cingulate cortex.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Indirect tDCS

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used is two electrodes at AF3 and AF4 of the 10-10 electrode system.

Personalized tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be individually optimized to simultaneously stimulate key nodes connected to mid-cingulate cortex, including anterior insula, MFG and supramarginal gyrus.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Personalized tDCS

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used will be optimized to stimulate key nodes connected to MCC, including anterior insula, MFG and supramarginal gyrus, and designed using an individual head model that will be combined with each subject's measured connectivity map. The number of electrodes will be minimally 2 and maximally 32.

Sham tDCS

Placebo transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied.

Group Type: SHAM_COMPARATOR

Sham tDCS

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. Placebo stimulation will be applied by ramping the current up and immediately down over 30 seconds. The configuration used is two electrodes at AF3 and AF4 of the 10-10 electrode system.

Interventions

Direct tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used is two electrodes at AFz and CPz of the 10-10 electrode system.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Indirect tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used is two electrodes at AF3 and AF4 of the 10-10 electrode system.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Personalized tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used will be optimized to stimulate key nodes connected to MCC, including anterior insula, MFG and supramarginal gyrus, and designed using an individual head model that will be combined with each subject's measured connectivity map. The number of electrodes will be minimally 2 and maximally 32.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Sham tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. Placebo stimulation will be applied by ramping the current up and immediately down over 30 seconds. The configuration used is two electrodes at AF3 and AF4 of the 10-10 electrode system.

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• between the ages of 65 and 80
• normal or corrected to normal vision
• fluent in speaking, reading and understanding English
• right-handed

Exclusion Criteria

• any metal implants that may cause harm through MRI scanning
• other metals that may interfere with obtaining MRI signals
• claustrophobic
• pregnancy
• history of neurological or psychiatric illnesses
• history of fainting, seizures or epilepsy
• history of migraines
• history of drug abuse
• learning disability
• intracranial lesion
• any prescription or regular medication except for birth control
• any uncontrolled medical condition
• skin disease or damage on scalp
• hair style or head dress that prevents electrode contact with the scalp
• any condition affecting agility of hands (e.g. acute or chronic tenosynovitis, active joint deformity of arthritic origin)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Massachusetts General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Northeastern University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Sumientra Rampersad

Research Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Sumientra M Rampersad, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Northeastern University

Locations

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Sumientra M Rampersad, PhD

Role: CONTACT

s.rampersad@northeastern.edu

6173733880

Alexandra Touroutoglou, PhD

Role: CONTACT

atourout@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu

Facility Contacts

Sumientra M Rampersad, PhD

Role: primary

s.rampersad@northeastern.edu

617-373-3880

Other Identifiers

R21AG061743

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

18-07-20

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id