Contribution of the Cerebellum In Sensory-motor Adaptation Via Gamma Oscillations: the Case of Dystonia (GAMMA)

Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Status: Completed

Conditions: Primary Dystonia

Treatments: Other: sham cerebellar stimulation; Other: active cerebellar stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02073630

C13-45

Details and patient eligibility

About

Dystonia, a disabling disease with uncontrolled movement disorders was considered to be a manifestation of basal ganglia dysfunction, yet there is accumulating evidence from animal and human experiments that the cerebellum plays a prominent role in the pathophysiology of dystonia. Our recent results suggest a deficient cerebellar sensory encoding in dystonia, resulting in a decoupling of the motor component from the afferent information flow resulting from changes in the environment. An overall loss of gabaergic-mediated inhibition is at the forefront in dynamic changes in neural circuitry described in dystonia. In the mature brain gabaergic control the generation of temporal synchronies and oscillations in the glutamatergic neurons. Taken these all together with the results of a pilot experiment, the investigators hypothesize that deficient synchronies in the fast gamma range are one of the key mechanisms leading to abnormal communication inside the cerebello-cortical network in dystonia. The investigators aim first to demonstrate it by means of MEG (Magneto encepholography) recordings allowing to reconstruct the spatio-temporal dynamics of gamma oscillations in the nodes of the cerebello-cortical network. The investigators then aim to re-establish (if lost) or boost (if decreased) the defective synchronies by applying to the cerebellum at high gamma frequency a non invasive transcranial alternative current stimulation.

Enrollment: 63 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• primary upper limb dystonia
• normal physical and neurological examination except for dystonia
• no treatment with botulinum toxin during the three months preceding the study

Exclusion criteria

• Writing tremor
• current neurological or psychiatric illness other than dystonia
• uncontrollable medical problems not related to dystonia
• pregnancy, breast feeding women and women who are of childbearing age and not practicing adequate birth control

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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63 participants in 2 patient groups

Healthy subjects

Other group

Description:

healthy subjects will receive either sham or active cerebellar stimulation

Treatment:

Other: active cerebellar stimulation

Other: sham cerebellar stimulation

Dystonia

Other group

Description:

dystonic patients will receive either sham or active cerebellar stimulation

Treatment:

Other: active cerebellar stimulation

Other: sham cerebellar stimulation