Combining tDCS and Neurorehabilitation to Treat Age-related Deficits of Mobility and Cognition: UPfront Walking Study

Summary

Loss of mobility and cognitive ability are serious conditions that threaten the independence of older adults. The objective of this study is to initiate a line of research to develop a novel therapeutic intervention to enhance both mobility and cognition via neuroplasticity of frontal/executive circuits.

Conditions

• Mobility Limitation
• Cognitive Impairment

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Neurorehabilitation of Standard Walking

Neurorehabilitation is a behavioral therapeutic approach for enhancing the neural control of task performance by: Restoration of function, specificity of training, Sensory input to the nervous system, Intensity, Repetition and Progression of training. Neurorehabilitation of standard walking will focus on the use of typical steady state walking.

BEHAVIORAL

Neurorehabilitation of Complex Walking

Neurorehabilitation is a behavioral therapeutic approach for enhancing the neural control of task performance by: Restoration of function, specificity of training, Sensory input to the nervous system, Intensity, Repetition and Progression of training. Neurorehabilitation of complex walking will focus on the use of walking tasks that require increased attention and executive functions. The following walking tasks will be used: over obstacles, navigating around obstacles, changing speeds, on soft surfaces (exercise mat), in dim lighting, while conversing with the therapist, up/down ramps and climbing/descending stairs.

DEVICE

Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Sham tDCS)

tDCS will be used to induce positive neuromodulation of frontal/executive circuits to make them more amenable to the "activity-dependent neuroplasticity" that is known to occur with behavioral neurorehabilitation. Specifically, tDCS may facilitate the efficacy of our walking neurorehabilitation intervention by strengthening the synaptic connections within the recruited circuits.

DEVICE

Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Active tDCS)

tDCS will be used to induce positive neuromodulation of frontal/executive circuits to make them more amenable to the "activity-dependent neuroplasticity" that is known to occur with behavioral neurorehabilitation. Specifically, tDCS may facilitate the efficacy of our walking neurorehabilitation intervention by strengthening the synaptic connections within the recruited circuits.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Florida

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• David Clark, ScD · University of Florida

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Max Age

110 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-06-01

Primary Completion

2020-05-31

Completion

2021-03-06

Countries

• United States

Study Locations