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Parkinson DiseaseNCT04762823

Multiple Sessions of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in People With Parkinson's Disease

A study testing Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mA in people with Parkinson Disease and Healthy Adult, run by University of Iowa at 1 site in United States.

Withdrawn

Withdrawn. The study stopped before anyone enrolled.

Official record
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Trial summary

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects approximately 1 million people in the US, with annual health care costs approaching $11 billion. PD results from a loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 50 to 90 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Parkinson Disease, Healthy Adult
What is being tested?
Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mA
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
0 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
15 Aug 2021to 1 Jan 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 50 to 90 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • To be eligible to participate in this study, people with PD must meet the following criteria:
  • Adult (50-90 yrs) with a positive diagnosis of Parkinson's disease from a movement disorder specialist
  • On an unchanged regimen of dopaminergic medication for at least the last 3 months
  • Able to independently walk for 6 min
  • Without other severe chronic psychiatric or medical conditions
  • Not taking any psychoactive medications
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  • To be eligible to participate in this study, the NH subjects must meet the following criteria:
  • Adult (50-90 yrs)
  • Able to independently walk for 6 min
  • Without any severe chronic psychiatric or medical conditions
  • Not taking any psychoactive medications

Who cannot join

  • An individual from either group who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
  • Pregnant
  • Known holes or fissures in the skull
  • Metallic objects or implanted devices in the skull/head (e.g., metal plate, deep brain stimulator)
  • Current or previous injuries or surgeries that cause unusual gait
  • A score less than 24 or 17 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) or telephone-MoCA, respectively
Show all 11Show fewer
  • Additional exclusion for PwPD:
  • Experience freezing of gait
  • A diagnosis of dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases
  • Additional exclusion for NH subjects:
  • 1. A diagnosis of dementia or any neurodegenerative diseases

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • University of Iowa

    Iowa City, Iowa, 52242

Other trials in United States

About this study

Parkinson's disease (PD) affects approximately 1 million people in the US, with annual health care costs approaching $11 billion. PD results from a loss of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. This decrease in dopamine is associated with shaking, stiffness, slowness, balance/walking problems, thinking, and fatigue which severely impair activities of daily living. Current medical and surgical treatments for PD are either only mildly effective, expensive, or associated with a variety of side-effects. Therefore, the development of practical and effective therapies would have significant benefits.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can influence how the brain works. A review of studies concluded that, overall, tDCS improves walking and balance in people with PD (PwPD). However, these studies had mixed results. For example, most have stimulated the frontal brain areas and all have used intensities of 2 mA (milliamperes; a measure of electrical current strength) or less. However, given the vital role of the cerebellum in walking and balance, and in PD impairments, the cerebellum may represent a more effective brain target. A recent review of studies also recommended performing investigations of higher intensity tDCS (greater than 2 mA), to potentially increase stimulation efficacy. No study has investigated the effects of multiple sessions of cerebellar tDCS on gait and balance in PwPD and none have used tDCS intensities greater than 2 mA. Therefore, there is a critical need to determine if repeated sessions of cerebellar tDCS might improve walking and balance in the short- and long-term.

Being tested
Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mA, Sham cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation
Keywords
transcranial direct current stimulation, cerebellum, gait, balance, cognition, fatigue
Medical subject headings
Parkinson Disease, Fatigue

What participants receive

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

  • Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mADevice

    Also called ctDCS

    Uses weak electrical current (4 mA intensity) to either increase or decrease brain excitability and improve functional or cognitive outcomes.

  • Sham cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulationDevice

    Also called Sham

    Uses weak electrical current (4 mA intensity) at the beginning and the end of a given stimulation period to control for potential placebo effects or participant expectation bias.

Study groups in NCT04762823
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PD-ctDCSExperimentalPeople with Parkinson's disease will have both electrodes placed 1-2 cm below and 3 cm to either side of the inion, with the anode assigned to the most PD-affected side and the cathode assigned to the less PD-affected side. Stimulation is ramped up to 4 mA over the first 30 seconds and stays at 4 mA for the remainder of the stimulation time.
Receives: Device: Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mA
PD-shamSham comparatorPeople with Parkinson's disease will have both electrodes placed 1-2 cm below and 3 cm to either side of the inion, with the anode assigned to the most PD-affected side and the cathode assigned to the less PD-affected side. Stimulation is turned on (4 mA) for 30 seconds at the beginning and the end of the trial, but it turned to 0 mA in the intervening time.
Receives: Device: Sham cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation
NH-ctDCSActive comparatorNeurologically healthy older adults will have both electrodes placed 1-2 cm below and 3 cm to either side of the inion, with the anode assigned to the most PD-affected side and the cathode assigned to the non-dominant side. Stimulation is ramped up to 4 mA over the first 30 seconds and stays at 4 mA for the remainder of the stimulation time.
Receives: Device: Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mA
NH-shamSham comparatorNeurologically healthy older adults will have both electrodes placed 1-2 cm below and 3 cm to either side of the inion, with the anode assigned to the most PD-affected side and the cathode assigned to the non-dominant side. Stimulation is turned on (4 mA) for 30 seconds at the beginning and the end of the trial, but it turned to 0 mA in the intervening time.
Receives: Device: Sham cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation

What is being measured

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

  1. Movement Disorder Society version of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPRDS)

    The scale includes four parts that assess activities of daily living (Parts I and II), a motor exam (Part III), and medication-related motor complications (Part IV). For all parts, a higher number indicates more disability.

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  2. Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS)

    A nine-item questionnaire asking subjects to rate the severity of their perceived fatigue on a 1-7 point Likert scale (a higher number means more subjective fatigue).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  3. Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI)

    A 20-item scale evaluating five dimensions of fatigue rated on a 1-5 point Likert scale (positively phrase items reverse scored; a higher number means more fatigue).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  4. 30-meter walk test, single-task (30mWT-ST; 2 trials)

    Subjects walk at their usual/comfortable speed; walking characteristics and the time taken to complete the task are the primary outcomes (more time = worse performance)

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  5. 30-meter walk test, dual-task (30mWT-DT; 2 trials)

    Same as 30mWT-ST, except the subjects perform a secondary/cognitive task during the walking. The secondary task will involve serially subtracting 7 from a randomly selected starting number (100, 125, 150, 200; won't repeat a starting number within a given session). Changes in task performance between single- and dual-task conditions represent dual-task interference.

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  6. 6-minute walk test (6MWT; 1 trial)

    Subjects walk back and forth between two markers spaced 30 m apart at the usual speed. The total distance walked is the primary outcome (longer distance walked is an analog for less fatigue).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  7. 9-hole peg test (9-HPT; two trials with each hand)

    The subjects are instructed to pick up the pegs from a shallow cup one at a time, place them in the holes, and then immediately take the pegs back out of the holes one at a time. Time to put the pegs in and take them out again is recorded (more time = worse performance).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  8. Reaction time test (simple and choice; 1 trial each)

    Simple: A white box is displayed on a computer screen. When a black X appears in the white box, the subjects need to press the computer space bar as quickly as possible. Several trials with random inter-stimulus-intervals are presented. Choice: Four white boxes are displayed on the screen. When a black X appears in one of the boxes, the subjects need to press the appropriate key (z = left-most box, x = second from left, comma (,) = third from left, and period (.) = right-most) as quickly as possible. The average reaction time is recorded (more time = worse performance).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  9. Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (1 trial)

    On each trial, a central directional target (arrow) is flanked by similar stimuli on the left and right (five total arrows). The task is to indicate the direction of the central stimulus (i.e., the third arrow). On congruent trials, the flanker arrows face the same direction as the target. On incongruent trials, they face the opposite direction. Time to react to the different conditions is recorded (more time = worse performance).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  10. Trail Making Test A and B (TMT A/B; 1 trial each)

    Both parts consist of 25 circles (Part A: numbered 1 - 15; Part B: numbers and letters 1- 13 and A - L). The subject draws lines connecting the numbers in ascending order (Part A: 1-2-3-4-5 etc.) and then in alternating-ascending order (Part B; e.g., 1-A-2-B-3-C, etc.) as quickly and as accurately as possible without lifting the pen/pencil off the paper. Time to complete the "trail" is recorded (more time = worse performance).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  11. Berg Balance Scale (BBS)

    14-item scale rated on a 0 - 4 Likert scale that assesses balance performance in several dynamic and static conditions (lower score = worse balance).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

  12. Static Posturography.

    1. stand on a firm surface (directly on a force platform) for 1 minute with eyes open (balance characteristics [95% confidence interval of the total 2D area explored, the center of pressure movement velocity in forward/backward and left/right directions] are the primary outcomes), 2) stand on a foam surface (6 cm foam pad placed on top of force platform) for 1 minute with eyes open (the same balance characteristics as above are the primary outcomes).

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Brain activity PET Imaging with [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)

    Assesses resting-state brain activity by determining brain glucose usage. Involves the injection of a radioactive glucose analog that can be imaged with the PET scanner.

    Measured: Through study completion, up to 12 months

Timeline

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

  1. First posted21 Feb 2021
  2. Study start15 Aug 2021 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion1 Jan 2022 (estimated)
  4. Study completion1 Jan 2022 (estimated)

Why it stopped: The PI (Post-Doc Craig Workman) left the university.

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
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
0 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04762823
Sponsor's protocol ID
202007551
Status last verified
Jun 2022
First submitted
16 Feb 2021
Last updated
28 Jun 2022
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
Yes
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation at 4 mA in people with Parkinson Disease and Healthy Adult, run by University of Iowa at 1 site in United States.

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 11 inclusion and 11 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: withdrawn, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Jun 2022. 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 United States. 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 was withdrawn before enrolling participants, so there are no results.

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?

Movement Disorder Society version of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPRDS) (time frame: Through study completion, up to 12 months). The study lists 12 primary outcomes in all. 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 28 Jun 2022; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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