AzTrials
AzTrials

PhysiologyNCT03368703

Physiopathology of Lower Cortical Activation in COPD Patients: Contribution of Cortical Neuromodulation

A study testing Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulation in people with Physiology, run by 5 Santé at 1 site in France.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Patients with COPD have lower cortical activation and higher cortical inhibitory levels. The purpose of this study is to test the reversibility the lower cortical activation by counterbalancing the increased cortical inhibitory levels with neuro-modulation. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 45 to 75 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Physiology
What is being tested?
Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulation
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
34 participants
Where
1 siteFrance
Study dates
1 Jun 2017to 30 Jun 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 45 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Health insurance
  • Patients : COPD Gold II-IV
  • Patients : No rehabilitation since at least 1 yrs
  • Control : sedentary (< 9 Voorips)

Who cannot join

  • Pregnant women
  • Seizures
  • Unable to give written consent
  • Metalic object above shoulders
  • Dermatological issue concerning surface electrodes
  • Drugs influencing central nervous system
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Caffeine consumption > 4 coffee / day
  • Neurological disorders
  • Patients : recent exacerbation (< 4 weeks)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

France1 site
  • Cliniques du Souffle

    Lodève, Herault, 34700

Other trials in France

About this study

Patients with COPD have lower cortical activation and higher cortical inhibitory levels. The purpose of this study is to test the reversibility the lower cortical activation by counterbalancing the increased cortical inhibitory levels with neuro-modulation.

Read the detailed description

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients exhibit not only respiratory symptoms but also a peripheral muscular weakness. This weakness is characterized by a loss in strength, harmful for the patients' life quality and vital prognostic. Even if many papers have enlightened damages at a peripheral level, the muscular atrophy itself cannot totally explain the loss in force. Furthermore, the contractile properties of COPD muscles fibres are preserved. Consequently, it seems that the peripheral muscle weakness cannot only be explained by peripheral factors and central structures may be involved.

A recent work showed that during quadriceps voluntary contraction, cortical activation in COPD patients was significantly lower than in healthy subjects, contributing in the loss in strength. However, the pathophysiology underlying this loss of strength is still unclear and two hypotheses can be advanced: 1) the influence of anatomical lesions in the brain of COPD patients and 2) the particular metabolism of this population. Indeed, COPD patients show a reduced oxidative activity and an increased glycolytic contribution (decreased type I fibres and increased type II fibres, increased glycolytic enzymes activity, increased metabolites production). This specific metabolic may lead to an over-activation of type III-IV afferents, projecting onto somatosensory cortex sensitive to metabolites at a peripheral level, and produce inhibitory activity on the primary motor cortex, seat of the motor control. What is reported in the literature so far, is that COPD patients display increased cortical inhibitory values than healthy subjects.

Therefore, beyond understanding better the nervous mechanisms involved in the COPD's peripheral muscle weakness, the aim of this study is to counterbalance this increased cortical inhibitory level.

We hypothesize that modulating inhibitory processes at a cortical level would induced a reduction of inhibitions in patients with COPD and an increase in the force produced. In case this hypothesis would be verified, we will be able to confirm that this increased cortical level in COPD patients is reversible and may be a target for rehabilitation.

Conditions
Physiology
Being tested
Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulation, Sham transcranial direct-current-stimulation
Keywords
COPD, Transcranial direct-current stimulation, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Motor-evoked potentials, Inhibition, Muscle weakness
Medical subject headings
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive, Inhibition, Psychological, Muscle Weakness

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulationDevice

    2mA / 20min Anodal and Sham tDCS over dominant M1. Anodal tDCS consists of 30s of ramp up followed by 20min of stimulation and 30s of ramp down.

  • Sham transcranial direct-current-stimulationDevice

    Sham tDCS consists of only 30s of ramp up followed by 30s of ramp down and no further stimulation.

    Participants therefore have the same feeling for both modalities : slight itching due to the induced current at the beginning of the protocol (during around 30s) allowing no differentiation by the participant between the anodal or sham sessions.

Study groups in NCT03368703
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
COPD patientsExperimentalCOPD patients group
Receives: Device: Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulation; Device: Sham transcranial direct-current-stimulation
Healthy subjectsActive comparatorHealthy subject group, matched with COPD patients group on age, weight and BMI
Receives: Device: Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulation; Device: Sham transcranial direct-current-stimulation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in motor-evoked potentials

    Cortical excitability

    Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) ; Post-Stim (immediately post-intervention) ; Post-30 (30min post-intervention)

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Change in short-interval intracortical inhibition

    Cortical inhibition level

    Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) ; Post-Stim (immediately post-intervention) ; Post-30 (30min post-intervention)

  2. Change in cortical silent period

    Cortical inhibition level

    Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) ; Post-Stim (immediately post-intervention) ; Post-30 (30min post-intervention)

  3. Change in cortical voluntary activation

    Motor command

    Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) ; Post-Stim (immediately post-intervention) ; Post-30 (30min post-intervention)

  4. Change in strength

    Functional output

    Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) ; Post-Stim (immediately post-intervention) ; Post-30 (30min post-intervention)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Dec 2017
  2. Study start1 Jun 2017
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2018
  4. Study completion30 Jun 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator
Enrolment
34 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03368703
Sponsor's protocol ID
5S_EXCCOM
Status last verified
Jan 2020
First submitted
19 Dec 2016
Last updated
13 Jan 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Anodal transcranial direct-current-stimulation in people with Physiology, run by 5 Santé at 1 site in France.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 Jan 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in motor-evoked potentials (time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) ; Post-Stim (immediately post-intervention) ; Post-30 (30min post-intervention)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 Jan 2020.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in