Visual Field DefectVIBRANTNCT07105358
Vision Improvement Through Behavioral Rehabilitation And Neuroplasticity Training
A study testing transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and Perceptual learning-based training in people with Visual Field Defect and Stroke, run by Georgetown University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The VIBRANT (Vision Improvement through Behavioral Rehabilitation And Neuroplasticity Training) study is a prospective, double-blind, crossover design (within-subject) in participants with homonymous hemianopia-a type of visual field loss resulting from damage to the post-chiasmatic visual pathways. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Visual Field Defect, Stroke, Hemianopia
- What is being tested?
- transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and Perceptual learning-based training
- Type of treatment
- Medical device, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 17 Jul 2025to 30 Jun 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- At least 18 years of age.
- Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.
- Unilateral or bilateral focal brain damage causing loss of vision.
- At least three months post-stroke or traumatic brain injury, or a stable brain tumor within the past year.
- At least 18 years of age.
- Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.
Who cannot join
- Severe CNS diseases or disorders unrelated to the focal lesion, which could interfere with study results.
- Severe mental health challenges that could interfere with study results, or current or recent (within the past 6 months) drug or alcohol abuse or addiction as defined by DSM-5.
- Vision loss resulting from ocular disease or disorder.
- Healthy volunteers (age-matched controls):
- Any CNS diseases or psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy, schizophrenia) that would interfere with study results.
- Previous head injury.
- Present or past (within past 6 months) drug or alcohol abuse or addiction based on DSM-5.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Georgetown University Medical Center
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20057
Visual Perception and Plasticity Lab, 202-784-9949, vpplab@georgetown.edu
Tina Liu, PhD
About this study
Official title: Visual Plasticity Following Brain Lesions
The VIBRANT (Vision Improvement through Behavioral Rehabilitation And Neuroplasticity Training) study is a prospective, double-blind, crossover design (within-subject) in participants with homonymous hemianopia-a type of visual field loss resulting from damage to the post-chiasmatic visual pathways. It aims to investigate whether transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with perceptual learning-based training has potential for improving visual impairments.
- Conditions
- Visual Field Defect, Stroke, Hemianopia, Quadrantanopia, Cortical Blindness, Brain Tumor
- Being tested
- transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), Sham Stimulation, Perceptual learning-based training
- Medical subject headings
- Stroke, Hemianopsia, Blindness, Cortical, Brain Neoplasms, Brain Injuries, Traumatic
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)Device
Stimulation location: bilateral human middle temporal complex (hMT+). Stimulation parameters: 1 mA current intensity, with a frequency range of 101-640 Hz.
Sham StimulationDevice
Stimulation location: bilateral human middle temporal complex (hMT+). Stimulation parameters: Ramp up stimulation at 1mA with a frequency range of 101-640Hz for the first 30 seconds followed by no current for the remainder of the duration.
Perceptual learning-based trainingBehavioural
A motion discrimination task, judging the global direction of moving dot stimuli with two different coherence levels.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| tRNS with perceptual learning-based training | Experimental | Each 2-day session consists of up to three 18-minute transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) paired with perceptual learning-based training. Receives: Device: transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS); Behavioral: Perceptual learning-based training |
| Sham with perceptual learning-based training | Sham comparator | Each 2-day session consists of up to three 18-minute sham stimulation paired with perceptual learning-based training. Receives: Device: Sham Stimulation; Behavioral: Perceptual learning-based training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Motion Discrimination Performance
Change in accuracy on a computerized motion direction discrimination task programmed in the lab. The task assesses participants' ability to discriminate the direction of the peripherally presented moving dots at two locations (one within the blind field and the other at a mirror-symmetric location in the intact visual field). Accuracy is defined as the proportion of correct responses out of the total number of trials completed.
Measured: Study visit 1 to 2 (within a week), and study visit 3 to 4 (within a week)
Secondary outcomes (3)
Visual Field Change
Change in visual field function, assessed by perimetric mean deviation (PMD) measured using Humphrey perimetry. PMD is a global index representing the average deviation of visual field sensitivity compared to age-matched norms, measured in decibels (dB). More negative PMD values indicate greater visual field loss.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) to post-intervention follow-up (approximately 3 months, up to 6 months)
Visual Perception Change
Change in visual perception in the following two task:
- Face/Object Recognition: identify whether a peripherally presented stimulus is a face or an object.
- Motion Discrimination: discriminate the direction of the peripherally presented moving dots.
Performance on both tasks will be measured at visual field locations targeted by brain stimulation and at control visual field locations not targeted by brain stimulation.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) to post-intervention follow-up (approximately 3 months, up to 6 months)
Quality of Life Change
Change in quality of life evaluated using the National Eye Institute 25 Item Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ 25). Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better vision-related quality of life.
Measured: Baseline (pre-intervention) to post-intervention follow-up (approximately 3 months, up to 6 months)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Aug 2025
- Study start17 Jul 2025
- Primary completion30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Visual Field DefectStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Georgetown UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Crossover
- Model description
- 1. Initial 2-Day Sessions: Participants receive either real or sham transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with perceptual learning-based training. 2. Washout Period: A minimum 1-week washout period (typically around 2 weeks) is included to minimize potential carry-over effects. 3. Final 2-Day Sessions: Participants complete the alternate stimulation condition (sham or real) paired with perceptual learning-based training.
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Georgetown University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Tong (Tina) Liu, Georgetown University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07105358
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00008292
- Acronym
- VIBRANT
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Jul 2025
- Last updated
- 14 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Visual Plasticity Following Brain Lesions
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07105358
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- VIBRANT / STUDY00008292
- Conditions
- Visual Field Defect, Stroke, Hemianopia, Quadrantanopia, Cortical Blindness, Brain Tumor
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Georgetown UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 17 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Jun 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The VIBRANT (Vision Improvement through Behavioral Rehabilitation And Neuroplasticity Training) study is a prospective, double-blind, crossover design (within-subject) in participants with homonymous hemianopia-a type of visual field loss resulting from damage to the post-chiasmatic visual pathways. It aims to investigate whether transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with perceptual learning-based training has potential for improving visual impairments.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- 1. Initial 2-Day Sessions: Participants receive either real or sham transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with perceptual learning-based training. 2. Washout Period: A minimum 1-week washout period (typically around 2 weeks) is included to minimize potential carry-over effects. 3. Final 2-Day Sessions: Participants complete the alternate stimulation condition (sham or real) paired with perceptual learning-based training.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| tRNS with perceptual learning-based training | Experimental | Device: transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), Behavioral: Perceptual learning-based trainingEach 2-day session consists of up to three 18-minute transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) paired with perceptual learning-based training. |
| Sham with perceptual learning-based training | Sham comparator | Device: Sham Stimulation, Behavioral: Perceptual learning-based trainingEach 2-day session consists of up to three 18-minute sham stimulation paired with perceptual learning-based training. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- At least 18 years of age.
- Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.
- Unilateral or bilateral focal brain damage causing loss of vision.
- At least three months post-stroke or traumatic brain injury, or a stable brain tumor within the past year.
- At least 18 years of age.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Severe CNS diseases or disorders unrelated to the focal lesion, which could interfere with study results.
- Severe mental health challenges that could interfere with study results, or current or recent (within the past 6 months) drug or alcohol abuse or addiction as defined by DSM-5.
- Vision loss resulting from ocular disease or disorder.
- Healthy volunteers (age-matched controls):
- Any CNS diseases or psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy, schizophrenia) that would interfere with study results.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)Stimulation location: bilateral human middle temporal complex (hMT+). Stimulation parameters: 1 mA current intensity, with a frequency range of 101-640 Hz. | Device | tRNS with perceptual learning-based training |
| Sham StimulationStimulation location: bilateral human middle temporal complex (hMT+). Stimulation parameters: Ramp up stimulation at 1mA with a frequency range of 101-640Hz for the first 30 seconds followed by no current for the remainder of the duration. | Device | Sham with perceptual learning-based training |
| Perceptual learning-based trainingA motion discrimination task, judging the global direction of moving dot stimuli with two different coherence levels. | Behavioural | Sham with perceptual learning-based training, tRNS with perceptual learning-based training |
Primary outcome
Change in Motion Discrimination Performance
Time frame: Study visit 1 to 2 (within a week), and study visit 3 to 4 (within a week)
Change in accuracy on a computerized motion direction discrimination task programmed in the lab. The task assesses participants' ability to discriminate the direction of the peripherally presented moving dots at two locations (one within the blind field and the other at a mirror-symmetric location in the intact visual field). Accuracy is defined as the proportion of correct responses out of the total number of trials completed.
3 secondary outcomes
Visual Field Change
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) to post-intervention follow-up (approximately 3 months, up to 6 months)
Visual Perception Change
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) to post-intervention follow-up (approximately 3 months, up to 6 months)
Quality of Life Change
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention) to post-intervention follow-up (approximately 3 months, up to 6 months)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) and Perceptual learning-based training in people with Visual Field Defect and Stroke, run by Georgetown University 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 6 inclusion and 7 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Sep 2026. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Tina Liu, PhD (2027849920, tina.liu@georgetown.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Change in Motion Discrimination Performance (time frame: Study visit 1 to 2 (within a week), and study visit 3 to 4 (within a week)). 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 14 Sep 2026.