Individualized Brain Stimulation to Improve Mobility in Alzheimer's Disease

Launched by HEBREW SENIORLIFE · Feb 26, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new treatment method called personalized brain stimulation to see if it can help improve movement and cognitive abilities in older adults with mild Alzheimer's disease. The treatment involves a series of 10 sessions using a technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which gently stimulates a specific part of the brain. The study aims to find out if this approach can help participants with tasks like standing and walking while thinking at the same time.

To participate, you need to be 65 years or older and living in a supportive housing facility. You should have mild Alzheimer's disease, which is assessed through specific tests related to memory and daily activities. Some individuals may not qualify, especially if they have certain neurological conditions, significant mobility issues requiring help, or specific mental health concerns. If you join the study, you'll be part of a controlled trial, meaning some participants may receive the actual treatment while others will receive a placebo (a dummy treatment) to compare the effects. This research is an important step toward finding better ways to help manage mobility and cognitive challenges in people with Alzheimer's disease.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Men and women aged 65 and older living within supportive housing facilities
• • Mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) defined by the combination of 1) at least mild cognitive impairment defined as a modified TICS score of ≤ 34, 2) informant-report of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living impairment as defined as a score of ≥ 6 on the NACC Functional Activities Questionnaire, and 3) a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 1.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Inability to secure informant participation
• • Unwillingness to cooperate or participate in the study protocol
• • An inability to ambulate without the assistance of another person (canes or walkers allowed)
• • A clinical history of stroke, Parkinson's disease or parkinsonian symptoms, multiple sclerosis, normal pressure hydrocephalus, or other neurological conditions outside of mild AD.
• • Any report of severe lower-extremity arthritis or physician-diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy
• • Use of antipsychotics, anti-seizure, benzodiazepines, or other neuroactive medications
• • Severe depression defined by a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale score greater than 16
• • Any report of physician-diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychiatric illness
• • Contraindications to MRI or tDCS, including reported seizure within the past two years, use of neuropsychological-active drugs, the risk of metal objects anywhere in the body, self-reported presence of specific implanted medical devices (e.g., deep brain stimulator, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, pacemakers, etc.), or the presence of any active dermatological condition, such as eczema, on the scalp