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Direct Measurement of Motor Cortical Responses to tDCS

NCT04759898 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2026-05-01

Study results available
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Summary

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown the potential to improve symptoms in patients with movement deficits, such as Parkinson's disease and chronic stroke. However, the effects of tDCS have so far not been proven on a wider scale due to lack of knowledge regarding exactly how tDCS works. This has limited the adoption of this potentially useful therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease, chronic stroke and other conditions affecting movement. The investigators hypothesize that by studying the effects of tDCS in subjects performing a motor task, the brain signals mediating improvements in motor control will be identified. The investigators will use both noninvasive and invasive methods to explore this hypothesis. The investigators expect this combined approach to broaden understanding of tDCS application in conditions affecting movement and possibly lead to therapeutic advances in these populations.

Conditions

  • Parkinson Disease

Interventions

DEVICE

transcranial direct current stimulation (invasive recording)

Subjects are brought into the operating room. The scalp is prepped with a sterilizing solution. Following infiltration with local anesthetic and incision, a 6-contact electrocorticography strip is inserted into the burr hole covering primary motor cortex. Electrocorticography strip terminals are connected to an amplifier for signal recording. Gas-sterilized transcranial direct current stimulation electrodes are placed on the scalp directly overlying primary motor cortex. tDCS electrodes are connected to a low-current generator. During electrocorticographic recording, stimulation is turned on while subjects are asked to flex each arm. At the conclusion of the experiment, the electrocorticography strip and tDCS electrodes are removed and the surgery proceeds as planned.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Nathan C Rowland, MD,PhD · Medical University of South Carolina

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-01-01
Primary Completion
2025-01-01
Completion
2025-01-01

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04759898 on ClinicalTrials.gov