Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Rehabilitation to Ameliorate Impairments in Neurocognition After Stroke

Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), combined with traditional cognitive therapy will improve cognitive function in patients with subacute stroke.

Conditions

• Ischemic Stroke
• Cognitive Impairment

Interventions

DEVICE

tDCS

tDCS is a type of non-invasive brain stimulation in which small electrical currents are applied to the scalp via 2 electrodes. During sham stimulation, the current, 2 mA, will be delivered for a short amount of time and then turn-off. To deliver the current, electrodes that are placed in saline soaked sponges. They will be attached to the left side of your head; they will be held in place with an elastic cap. For both real and sham stimulation the electrodes will be placed on the scalp. Most people cannot tell the difference between real and sham stimulation.

DEVICE

sham tDCS

tDCS is a type of non-invasive brain stimulation in which small electrical currents are applied to the scalp via 2 electrodes. During sham stimulation, the current, 2 mA, will be delivered for a short amount of time and then turn-off. To deliver the current, electrodes that are placed in saline soaked sponges. They will be attached to the left side of your head; they will be held in place with an elastic cap. For both real and sham stimulation the electrodes will be placed on the scalp. Most people cannot tell the difference between real and sham stimulation.

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Therapy

During both the treatment and the sham intervention, participants will undero cognitive therapy training by performing the NBack task. In this sequential letter memory exercise participants are presented with sequential stimuli in the form of a series of letters. For each new stimulus they are asked to indicate if the current stimulus matches the stimulus from 2 trials prior. This exercise stimulates cognitive demand in working memory, executive function and attention and is correlated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kelly Sloane, MD · University of Pennsylvania

• Roy Hamilton, MD · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

90 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-09-21

Primary Completion

2027-06-30

Completion

2028-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations