Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Behavioral Symptoms in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD)

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Alzheimer Disease

Treatments: Device: active tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05478681

HSC-MS-22-0296

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to assess acceptability, and safety of providing tDCS to ADRD patients with behavioral symptoms and to assess the efficacy of tDCS for ADRD-related symptoms, mainly behavioral symptoms.

Enrollment: 20 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• have ADRD and clinically-meaningful behavioral symptoms
• have a caregiver willing to participate in the study
• can speak and read English
• have stable doses of medications for at least one month

Exclusion criteria

• any unstable concurrent medical conditions
• history of brain surgery
• seizure
• intracranial metal implantation
• current alcohol/substance use disorder

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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20 participants in 1 patient group

active tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

All participants will receive active tDCS with a constant current intensity of 2mA. Anodal tDCS will be applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while cathodal electrode will be positioned on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Caregivers will help setting up and administering tDCS for participants with AD at home. tDCS will be applied for 30min at an intensity of 2mA, with 30 s ramping up and down.

Treatment:

Device: active tDCS