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Behavioural Intervention

transcranial direct current stimulation for Parkinson's Disease (tDCS Trial)

N/A
Recruiting
Led By Jau-Shin Lou, MD
Research Sponsored by Sanford Health
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Clinical diagnosis of PD with at least two of the four diagnostic criteria for PD (tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability)
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 10 minutes; pre-test during the second research visit, post-test on 6th research visit after 5 consecutive days of tdcs, a follow up test on the 7th research visit, 7 days after last tdcs session and 8th visit 14 days after last tdcs session
Awards & highlights

tDCS Trial Summary

This trial is testing whether electrical stimulation of the brain can help reduce cognitive fatigue and improve cognitive function in patients with Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for Parkinson's patients with mild cognitive impairment (MOCA scores between 21 and 26) who exhibit at least two of the main symptoms: tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, or postural instability. Participants must be able to give consent and speak English fluently. Those with severe lung, heart, kidney diseases, dementia, deep brain stimulation treatment for PD, psychosis, multiple sclerosis, stroke history or epilepsy cannot join.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study tests if a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS), applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex can improve cognition and reduce fatigue in Parkinson's patients compared to a sham (fake) procedure.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Possible side effects from tDCS may include slight itching or tingling on the scalp during application; headache; fatigue; nausea; and insomnia. These are typically mild and temporary.

tDCS Trial Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I have Parkinson's disease with symptoms like tremor or stiffness.

tDCS Trial Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~90 minutes; pre-test during the second research visit, post-test on 6th research visit after 5 consecutive days of tdcs, a follow up test on the 7th research visit, 7 days after last tdcs session and 8th visit 14 days after last tdcs session
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 90 minutes; pre-test during the second research visit, post-test on 6th research visit after 5 consecutive days of tdcs, a follow up test on the 7th research visit, 7 days after last tdcs session and 8th visit 14 days after last tdcs session for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Change in Reaction Time (RT) on contextual cueing computer task
Secondary outcome measures
Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
Change in Error Rate on contextual cueing computer task
McGill Quality of Life (QOL) Scale
+3 more

tDCS Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: Experimental groupExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The experimental group will receive 2 milliamps of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation for 20 minutes daily for 5 days.
Group II: Sham groupPlacebo Group1 Intervention
The sham group will be connected to the anodal transcranial direct current stimulation device daily for 5 days. During the 20 minute sessions, the participant will only receive stimulation for a 30-second ramp up period, at which point the stimulation will be discontinued for the remainder of the time.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
transcranial direct current stimulation
2013
Completed Phase 3
~1430

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Sanford HealthLead Sponsor
48 Previous Clinical Trials
61,883 Total Patients Enrolled
Jau-Shin Lou, MDPrincipal InvestigatorSanford Health

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.

Are there openings for enrolment in this research project?

"Affirmative. Evidence presented on clinicaltrials.gov verifies that this medical trial is presently enrolling participants, having been initially posted in October 2015 and most recently updated in November 2021. A total of 40 patients are required to be recruited from a single site."

Answered by AI

How many individuals have elected to partake in the current clinical trial?

"Affirmative. Clinicaltrials.gov confirms that recruitment for this medical trial, which was initially advertised on October 19th 2015, is currently taking place. 40 participants need to be sourced from 1 site in particular."

Answered by AI

Who else is applying?

What state do they live in?
North Carolina
California
What portion of applicants met pre-screening criteria?
Met criteria
Did not meet criteria
How many prior treatments have patients received?
0
What site did they apply to?
Sanford Brain & Spine Center
Recent research and studies
~5 spots leftby Aug 2025