Improving Awareness for Spatial Neglect With tDCS

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND · Apr 13, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a condition called anosognosia, where stroke patients are unaware of their symptoms, particularly those with a type of neglect called Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN). The researchers aim to improve the awareness of these symptoms in patients who have had a stroke affecting the right side of their brain. They will use a technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which involves applying a gentle electrical current to specific areas of the brain to help change how the brain functions. This method is intended to enhance the patients' awareness of their condition.

To be eligible for the trial, participants must be right-handed individuals who have had their first stroke affecting the right hemisphere of the brain and have been diagnosed with USN. They will need to have good vision (with or without glasses) and be fluent in French. The study will not accept individuals with certain cognitive issues, neurological disorders, or other health conditions that could interfere with the research. Participants can expect to take part in sessions lasting at least 45 minutes, where they will receive the tDCS treatment and be monitored for changes in awareness. This trial is not yet recruiting participants, but it aims to better understand and potentially improve the lives of those affected by this challenging condition.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • First stroke affecting the right-hemisphere
• • Presence of USN, as assessed by a standard neuropsychological evaluation
• • Structural images of the brain lesion available (magnetic resonance or tomographic scans)
• • Criteria for electrical brain stimulation
• • Good (or corrected) visual acuity
• • High proficiency in French
• • Right-handed
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Presence of general cognitive deficits and/or suspicious of possible cognitive deficits
• • Presence of difficulty in task's comprehension
• • Impossibility to sustain a research session of at least 45minutes (e.g., attentional lability)
• • Precedent additional neurological disorder and/or current or precedent psychiatric disease
• * Presence of one or more exclusion criteria for the electrical brain stimulation 18, as following:
• • Presence (or suspected presence) of metal in the brain or skull or body (except titanium) (e.g. splinters, fragments, clips, etc.) Presence of cochlear implants, implanted neuro-stimulator (e.g., DBS, epidural/subdural, VNS), cardiac pacemaker, medication infusion device, spinal or ventricular derivations Presence of epilepsy (participant and/or the close family) and/or precedent epileptic seizures (participant) Presence of a fainting spell or syncope, due to neurological diseases (not consider syncope during blood sampling or after being in a warm environment or after emotionally stressful events) Presence of a severe (i.e., followed by loss of consciousness) head trauma Presence of hearing problems or ringing in your ears (e.g. tinnitus) Current treatment under psychoactive (e.g. antidepressants, tranquilizers) or antiepileptic medications Chronic headache For women: you are pregnant or there is any chance that you might be.