Transcranial Pulse Stimulation. a Potential Treatment for Early Dementia

NCT ID: NCT06730438

Last Updated: 2024-12-16

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

100 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-12-31

Study Completion Date

2026-07-31

Brief Summary

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Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is characterized by the absence of treatments to slow, stop, or reverse its course, with patients finally losing cognitive functions, skills and independence. It is a chronic degenerative disease with high social and medical burden worldwide: AD ranked third among neurological disorders in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates.

The primary aim of the research protocol is to improve care for patients with AD, by implementing, with an innovative method, the currently available repertoire of neuromodulation techniques. For this aim, we will investigate whether Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) may induce cognitive improvement in patients with an early stage of dementia.

Detailed Description

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Aims of the project: The primary aim of our research protocol is to improve care for patients with AD by investigating whether Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) may induce cognitive improvement in patients with an early stage of dementia. Additional aims will include the investigation of the neurophysiological profile of patients and the search for a correlation between neuropsychological and neurophysiological data with the serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

Materials and Methods: Following a rigorous selection, included patients will be treated through a real/sham structured TPS protocol and followed-up with respect to cognitive improvement, by comparing baseline and follow-up clinical scores. A Double Blind Sham-Controlled Study will be performed: patients will be assigned randomly to receive TPS or sham TPS for 4 weeks in a parallel groups, double-blind study. Patients will receive ether TPS or sham treatment once a day for five days a week for the whole period and will be assessed according to the following schedule: baseline (t0); at two weeks following the start of TPS (t1); at 1 month following the start of TPS (t2); at 2 months following the start of TPS (t3); at 6 months following the start of TPS (t4). Electroencephalography (EEG) and Somatory Evoked Potentials (SEP) will be contextually recorded in all patients, to compare neurophysiological data of patients treated with real TPS and sham stimulation. Moreover, a serum sample will be collected from patients at baseline, at the end of the stimulation period and at the 6-month follow-up, to compare preprocedural and postprocedural levels of serum BDNF and VEGF.

Conditions

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Alzheimer Disease

Keywords

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Alzheimer's disease Transcranial Pulse Stimulation Dementia

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Double Blind Sham-Controlled Study
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Transcranial pulse stimulation

Patients belonging to this group will receive real transcranial pulse stimulation over a 4-weeks period, once a day for five days a week.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial Pulse Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Patients will receive TPS once a day for five days a week, each session will be separated from the previous one by 24h. Each stimulation and assessment session will be performed at the same hour of the day, in the morning preferably, to maximize the probability of observing responses to stimuli. Patients will be managed in a quiete room with stable light and temperature.

Sham stimulation Group

Patients belonging to this group will receive sham transcranial pulse stimualtion over a 4-weeks period, once a day for five days a week.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Transcranial Pulse Stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Patients will receive TPS once a day for five days a week, each session will be separated from the previous one by 24h. Each stimulation and assessment session will be performed at the same hour of the day, in the morning preferably, to maximize the probability of observing responses to stimuli. Patients will be managed in a quiete room with stable light and temperature.

Interventions

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Transcranial Pulse Stimulation

Patients will receive TPS once a day for five days a week, each session will be separated from the previous one by 24h. Each stimulation and assessment session will be performed at the same hour of the day, in the morning preferably, to maximize the probability of observing responses to stimuli. Patients will be managed in a quiete room with stable light and temperature.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* age\>18 years
* diagnosis of early dementia according to current international guidelines
* disease duration of at least 12 months
* consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

* medical instability interfering with standard neurological assessment
* any contraindication to preliminary MRI for MR-based real-time neuronavigation
* comorbidities which may interfere with cognitive status
* any contraindication to Transcranial Pulse Stimulation.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Francesca Pistoia

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Francesca Pistoia

Associate Professor of Neurology

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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San Salvatore Hospital

L’Aquila, Italy, Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

San Salvatore Hospital

L’Aquila, Italy, Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Italy

Central Contacts

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Francesca Pistoia, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

Phone: +39862368657

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Francesca Pistoia, MD, PhD

Role: primary

Francesca Pistoia, MD, PhD

Role: primary

Francesca Pistoia, MD, PhD

Role: backup

References

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Matt E, Kaindl L, Tenk S, Egger A, Kolarova T, Karahasanovic N, Amini A, Arslan A, Saricicek K, Weber A, Beisteiner R. First evidence of long-term effects of transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) on the human brain. J Transl Med. 2022 Jan 15;20(1):26. doi: 10.1186/s12967-021-03222-5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35033118 (View on PubMed)

Beisteiner R, Matt E, Fan C, Baldysiak H, Schonfeld M, Philippi Novak T, Amini A, Aslan T, Reinecke R, Lehrner J, Weber A, Reime U, Goldenstedt C, Marlinghaus E, Hallett M, Lohse-Busch H. Transcranial Pulse Stimulation with Ultrasound in Alzheimer's Disease-A New Navigated Focal Brain Therapy. Adv Sci (Weinh). 2019 Dec 23;7(3):1902583. doi: 10.1002/advs.201902583. eCollection 2020 Feb.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32042569 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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PNRR-MCNT2-2023-12377235

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

PNRR-MCNT2-2023-12377235

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id