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Progressive Supranuclear PalsySTIM-PSPNCT04655079

Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial dIrect Current stiMulation (tDCS) in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) (STIM-PSP)

A study testing Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) in people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Motor and Cognitive Symptoms, run by University of Salerno at 1 site in Italy.

Completed

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

Official record
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Trial summary

This is a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial that aim to verify the safety and the efficacy of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive and motor symptoms in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 40 to 89 years
What is being tested?
Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS)
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
24 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
1 Feb 2021to 11 May 2022
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 40 to 89 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of PSP according with Movement Disorder Society (MDS) criteria (Hoglinger et al., 2017);
  • Age > 40 and < 89 years;
  • Presence of a caregiver supportive the patient for all study procedure;
  • Ability to walk for at least 5 steps either independently or with a minimum support (another patients holding patient's arm or with a walker)

Who cannot join

  • Presence of electrical stimulators (for example, pacemaker, Deep Brain Stimulation, DBS)
  • Difficult in understanding Italian language
  • Presence of severe sensory deficits (for example, visual or hearing impairments)
  • Education level <5 years
  • History of drug abuse
  • History of severe psychiatric disorders
Show all 12Show fewer
  • History of transient ischemic attacks
  • Cortical or sub-cortical vascular lesions
  • Seizures or severe heart problems and previous neurosurgical operations
  • Absence of subjective cognitive deficits
  • MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) score <20
  • Left-handedness

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Italy1 site
  • Centro per le Malattie Neurodegenerative (CEMAND) Dipartimento di Medicina e chirurgia, Sezione Neuroscienze, Università di Salerno

    Salerno

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Efficacy and Safety of Transcranial dIrect Current stiMulation (tDCS) on Motor and Cognitive Symptoms in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) (STIM-PSP)

This is a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial that aim to verify the safety and the efficacy of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive and motor symptoms in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC).

Read the detailed description

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by deposition of tau and motor, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Since no effective treatment is available, non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as tDCS, could be a valid complementary therapeutic approach. The tDCS modulates the spontaneous activity of the neural network by applying a direct current flow on the cortical brain areas (anodic or cathodic stimulation). Despite its efficacy in psychiatric disorders, the therapeutic use of tDCS in neurodegenerative diseases requires more systematic studies. The aim of this study is to verify the safety and efficacy of tDCS in PSP on motor, cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Being tested
Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS), Sham Condition
Keywords
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Medical subject headings
Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive, Neurobehavioral Manifestations

What participants receive

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

  • Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS)Device

    Also called Active tDCS

    tDCS is delivered by a battery-driven constant current stimulator thought a pair of saline soaked surface sponge electrodes. The active electrode (anode) is placed on the scalp over the left dlPFC (F3) according to the 10 to 20 international electroencephalogram coordinates) and the cathode is placed over the right deltoid muscle. During real stimulation a constant current of 2mA (milli Ampere) is applied for 20 minutes.

  • Sham ConditionDevice

    For the sham condition the electrode placement is the same of active tDCS but the electric current is ramped down 5 seconds after the beginning of the stimulation.

Study groups in NCT04655079
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Real tDCS groupExperimentalParticipants receive anodal tDCS on the left dlPFC for 5 days/week for 2 weeks
Receives: Device: Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS)
Sham groupSham comparatorParticipants receive sham stimulation on the left dlPFC for 5 days/week for 2 weeks
Receives: Device: Sham Condition

What is being measured

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

  1. Change from baseline to 3-month follow up in verbal fluency task

    fluency in verbal names

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

Secondary outcomes (6)
  1. Change from baseline to 3-month follow in motor symptoms as assessed with sensor recordings (OPAL system)

    movements recorded with digital sensors (gait and other tasks)

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

  2. Change from baseline to 3-month follow up in cognitive symptoms as assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA)

    Cognitive status assessed with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA). The cut off is 15,5. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum is 30. Higher scores mean a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

  3. Change from baseline to 3-month follow up in caregiver distress as assessed with Neuropshychiatric Inventory (NPI)

    depression symptoms, apathy, neuropsychiatric symptoms assessed with Neuropshychiatric Inventory (NPI) . The minimum value of distress is 0 and the maximum is 5. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

  4. Change from baseline to 3-month follow up in executive function as assessed with Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB)

    Executive function assessed with Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). The cut off is 13,4. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum is 18. Higher scores mean a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

  5. Change from baseline to 3-month follow up in attention as assessed with Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB)

    Attention assessed with Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB). The cut off is 13,4. The minimum value is 0 and the maximum is 18. Higher scores mean a better outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

  6. Change from baseline to 3-month follow up in caregiver distress as assessed with Zarit Carer Burden Burden Interview (ZBI)

    Caregiver distress assessed with Zarit Carer Burden Burden Interview (ZBI). The minimum value is 0 and the maximum is 88. The cut off is 46. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.

    Measured: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)

Timeline

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

  1. First posted4 Dec 2020
  2. Study start1 Feb 2021
  3. Primary completion11 May 2022
  4. Study completion11 May 2022

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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
Participants will be recruited and randomized in two parallel group: group 1 will receive anodal left dlPFC tDCS (real tDCS) and group 2 will receive sham stimulation for 5 days/week for 2 consecutive weeks, in a 2:1 ratio, respectively. Each participant will undergo a clinical evaluation at baseline (T0), immediately after 2 weeks of either real or sham tDCS (T1), at 45-day (T2) and at 3-month follow up (T3) from baseline. PSP phenotypes will be uniformly distributed between treatment arms (ie, =Richardson's syndrome versus non-Richardson's syndrome=1:1).
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
24 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04655079
Sponsor's protocol ID
tDCS 01-2020
Acronym
STIM-PSP
Status last verified
Aug 2023
First submitted
27 Nov 2020
Last updated
2 Aug 2023
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 (a-tDCS) in people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Motor and Cognitive Symptoms, run by University of Salerno at 1 site in Italy.

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 12 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 2 Aug 2023. 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 Italy. 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. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. 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 from baseline to 3-month follow up in verbal fluency task (time frame: Baseline (T0); At 3-month (T3)). 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 2 Aug 2023.

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