10 Participants Needed

tDCS for Huntington's Disease

AL
LJ
ES
TM
Overseen ByThiago Macedo e Cordeiro, MD
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)
Approved in 1 JurisdictionThis treatment is already approved in other countries

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

The purpose of this study is to assess feasibility, acceptability, and safety of providing transcranial direct current stimulation( tDCS) to Huntingtons Disease (HD) patients in the early to middle stages and to assess the efficacy of tDCS for HD-related behavioral, cognitive and other symptoms

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial requires that participants have stable doses of their medications for at least one month, so you will not need to stop taking your current medications if they are stable.

Is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) safe for humans?

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is generally considered safe, with no reports of serious or lasting harm in over 33,200 sessions involving more than 1,000 people, including vulnerable groups. Common mild side effects include itching, tingling, and headaches, which are usually temporary.12345

How does tDCS treatment for Huntington's Disease differ from other treatments?

tDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) is unique because it is a non-invasive treatment that uses electrical currents applied to the scalp to modulate brain activity, which is different from traditional drug therapies. It offers a novel approach by potentially allowing more specific neural modulation, especially with high-definition tDCS, which can increase the precision and intensity of the treatment.678910

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment tDCS for Huntington's Disease?

Research on a similar treatment, cerebellar transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS), showed improvement in motor scores for Huntington's Disease patients, with effects lasting up to 4 weeks. This suggests that non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like tDCS may have potential benefits for Huntington's Disease.1112131415

Who Is on the Research Team?

ES

Erin Stimming, MD

Principal Investigator

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for individuals with Huntington's Disease in early to middle stages who show mild to moderate behavioral symptoms like apathy, irritability, or depression. They must have stable medication doses for a month and no major cognitive disorders, unstable medical conditions, brain metal objects, or high suicide risk.

Inclusion Criteria

I experience symptoms like apathy, irritability, anxiety, depression, aggression, or repetition.
My condition is in the early or moderate stages.
I carry the HD mutation.
See 1 more

Exclusion Criteria

You have a risk of thinking about or doing things to harm yourself.
I have been diagnosed with a major cognitive disorder or dementia.
Unstable medical conditions
See 2 more

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for Huntington's Disease-related symptoms

8 weeks
Baseline, week 2, week 4, week 8

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks
1 visit (in-person or virtual) at 4 weeks post-treatment

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

  • active tDCS
Trial Overview The study tests the safety and effectiveness of home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on behavioral and cognitive symptoms associated with Huntington's Disease. It aims to see if tDCS can improve these symptoms when administered at home.
How Is the Trial Designed?
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: active tDCSExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

active tDCS is already approved in Canada for the following indications:

🇨🇦
Approved in Canada as tDCS for:

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Lead Sponsor

Trials
974
Recruited
361,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a 2-year study of 20 patients with Huntington's disease, specific electrophysiological tests showed significant deterioration over time, indicating a correlation with clinical decline in motor and functional abilities.
Electrophysiological parameters, such as blink reflex latency and somatosensory evoked potentials, may serve as objective markers for tracking disease progression in Huntington's disease, reflecting changes in neural circuit function.
Electrophysiological deterioration over time in patients with Huntington's disease.Lefaucheur, JP., Ménard-Lefaucheur, I., Maison, P., et al.[2006]
Cerebellar transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) significantly improved motor scores in four patients with Huntington's Disease, particularly reducing dystonia symptoms, with effects lasting up to four weeks after treatment.
In contrast, sham stimulation did not produce any significant changes in motor scores, highlighting the efficacy of the anodal ctDCS as a potential therapeutic intervention for motor dysfunctions in Huntington's Disease.
Cerebellar Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) in the Treatment of Huntington's Disease: A Pilot Study and a Short Review of the Literature.Bocci, T., Baloscio, D., Ferrucci, R., et al.[2020]
In a study involving 17 participants with Huntington's disease, alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) significantly increased brain activity related to apathy, as measured by the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) response, while delta-frequency and sham stimulation did not show this effect.
Neurotypical controls did not exhibit changes in brain activity from tACS, but they did show faster response times after alpha-tACS, suggesting that this frequency may enhance cognitive processing in healthy individuals.
Medial prefrontal transcranial alternating current stimulation for apathy in Huntington's disease.Davis, MC., Hill, AT., Fitzgerald, PB., et al.[2023]

Citations

Electrophysiological deterioration over time in patients with Huntington's disease. [2006]
Cerebellar Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) in the Treatment of Huntington's Disease: A Pilot Study and a Short Review of the Literature. [2020]
Medial prefrontal transcranial alternating current stimulation for apathy in Huntington's disease. [2023]
Clinical relevance of electrophysiological tests in the assessment of patients with Huntington's disease. [2006]
Brain imaging and cognitive dysfunctions in Huntington's disease. [2018]
Safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: Evidence Based Update 2016. [2022]
Tolerability and blinding of 4x1 high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) at two and three milliamps. [2020]
A systematic review on reporting and assessment of adverse effects associated with transcranial direct current stimulation. [2022]
A Systematic Review on the Acceptability and Tolerability of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment in Neuropsychiatry Trials. [2018]
10.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Pediatric Motor Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. [2021]
11.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Tolerability and blinding of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation among older adults at intensities of up to 4 mA per electrode. [2023]
12.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Safety, Tolerability, Blinding Efficacy and Behavioural Effects of a Novel MRI-Compatible, High-Definition tDCS Set-Up. [2022]
Feasibility of using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to enhance treatment outcomes in persons with aphasia. [2023]
14.United Statespubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Current Density Imaging During Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Using DT-MRI and MREIT: Algorithm Development and Numerical Simulations. [2022]
Notes on Human Trials of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation between 1960 and 1998. [2022]
Unbiased ResultsWe believe in providing patients with all the options.
Your Data Stays Your DataWe only share your information with the clinical trials you're trying to access.
Verified Trials OnlyAll of our trials are run by licensed doctors, researchers, and healthcare companies.
Terms of Service·Privacy Policy·Cookies·Security