Effects of t-DCS and Cognitive Training on Apathy in Elderly With Minor Neurocognitive Impairment

Launched by CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE DE NICE · Jan 31, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique using a low intensity electric current to modify cortical excitability. There is growing interest for tDCS for psychiatric illnesses, notably for depression.

Apathy is a pervasive neuropsychiatric symptom characterized by a reduction in goal-directed behavior and activity that persists over time and causes identifiable functional impairment. tDCS could be a promising new area for non-pharmacological treatment of apathy.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of repeated sessions of tDCS ...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age ≥ 65 years
• • Subject consulting in one of the investigating centers
• • Clinical diagnosis of Minor Neurocognitive Disorder according to DSM 5 criteria (APA, 2013)
• • Apathetic syndrome defined according to the Diagnostic Criteria for Apathy (Miller \& al., 2021)
• • Subject who can read and write French
• • Subjects who are beneficiaries of a social security plan
• • Signature of free and informed consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Current clinical diagnosis of a depressive episode characterized by DSM 5 criteria (APA, 2013)
• • Known diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance abuse or dependence
• • Significant sensory or motor impairment
• • Subject under guardianship, conservatorship, or conservatorship
• • Active smoking or smoking cessation of less than one year
• • Contraindications to the practice of tDCS: history of intracranial hypertension, neurosurgery, metallic implant at the cephalic level, pacemaker
• • Unbalanced epilepsy
• • Severe somatic disease not stabilized
• • Previous use of tDCS (problem of maintaining the integrity of the blinding procedure)
• • Scalp skin disease
• • Concurrent participation in another drug research study or any other study that may interfere with study results