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Brain Stimulation
Active tDCS for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
N/A
Recruiting
Led By Ben Thompson, PhD
Research Sponsored by University of Waterloo
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart.
Awards & highlights
Study Summary
This trial is testing whether a-tDCS, a kind of brain stimulation, can be combined with perceptual learning to improve the ability of people with age-related or juvenile macular degeneration to read words on a computer screen.
Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults with stable vision and diagnosed age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or juvenile macular degeneration (JMD), who have a visual acuity between 6/9-6/96 in the better eye. Participants must be fluent in English or Chinese characters, depending on location, and not have had recent ocular surgery except under specific conditions.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study tests if brain stimulation called anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS), combined with perceptual learning, can improve reading ability on a computer screen for those with AMD or JMD. Half of the participants will receive real stimulation while the other half get sham treatment to compare effectiveness.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
While not explicitly listed, side effects may include discomfort at the electrode site from tDCS, potential headaches, tingling sensations during application, fatigue after sessions, and possibly transient mood changes.
Timeline
Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~ the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart.
Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart.
Treatment Details
Study Objectives
Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.Primary outcome measures
Change in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) Reading performance 30 days after training
Change in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) Reading performance before and right after training.
Secondary outcome measures
Change in Contrast Sensitivity before and 30 days after training
Change in Contrast Sensitivity before and just after training
Change in Crowded Visual Acuity before and 30 days after training
+5 moreTrial Design
2Treatment groups
Active Control
Placebo Group
Group I: Active + TrainingActive Control1 Intervention
Participants in this arm will be exposed to active stimulation for the first 25 minutes of a roughly hour - long perceptual training procedure in which participants must verbally read sentences presented at various speeds and sizes.
Group II: Sham + TrainingPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Participants in this arm will be exposed to sham stimulation for the first 25 minutes of a roughly hour - long perceptual training procedure in which participants must verbally read sentences presented at various speeds and sizes.
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Who is running the clinical trial?
University of WaterlooLead Sponsor
124 Previous Clinical Trials
209,328 Total Patients Enrolled
The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityOTHER
484 Previous Clinical Trials
66,103 Total Patients Enrolled
Ben Thompson, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorUniversity of Waterloo
2 Previous Clinical Trials
55 Total Patients Enrolled
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Eligibility Criteria:
This trial includes the following eligibility criteria:- You are either 60 years or older and have age-related macular degeneration (AMD), or you are currently 18 years or older and have juvenile macular degeneration (JMD).
Research Study Groups:
This trial has the following groups:- Group 1: Sham + Training
- Group 2: Active + Training
Awards:
This trial has 0 awards, including:Timeline:
This trial has the following timeline:- Screening: It may take up to 3 Weeks to process to see if you qualify in this trial.
- Treatment: The duration you will receive the treatment varies.
- Follow Ups: You may be asked to continue sharing information regarding the trial for 6 Months after you stop receiving the treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.
Have the recruitment activities for this trial been initiated?
"Per clinicaltrials.gov, this trial is in the midst of recruiting participants. The study was first announced on February 13th 2021 and underwent its most recent update on June 9th 2023."
Answered by AI
What is the current capacity for participants in this clinical trial?
"Affirmative. According to the clinicaltrials.gov website, this medical experiment which posted on February 13th 2021 is searching for volunteers. 30 people are needed at one site in total."
Answered by AI
What results are scientists hoping to achieve through this medical experiment?
"The primary goal of this medical trial is to observe any alteration in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) Reading performance 30 days after treatment. Furthermore, secondary objectives include assessing changes in Temporal Visual Span before and just after training, Uncrowded Visual Acuity pre-test/post-test, as well as Crowded Visual Acuity pre-test/post-test. All tests will take roughly one hour each and are spaced out four to seven weeks apart."
Answered by AI
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