Modulation of Visual-Spatial Learning in Healthy Older Adults by tDCS

Charité University Medicine Berlin

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Older Adults

Treatments: Behavioral: training; Device: tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02110056

LOCATO-OA-tDCS

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) leads to an improvement of learning and memory in healthy older adults and to examine the underlying neuronal mechanism.

Enrollment: 32 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 50 to 90 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria (old healthy controls):

• right handedness
• unobtrusive neuropsychological screening
• age: 50-90 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe internal or psychiatric disease
• epilepsy
• other severe neurological diseases, e.g. previous major stroke or brain tumor
• DMS-IV manifest dementia
• contraindication for MRT (claustrophobia, metallic implants, tattoos)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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32 participants in 2 patient groups

training + tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

Combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Treatment:

Device: tDCS

Behavioral: training

training + sham stimulation

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Combination of intensive training of visual-spatial abilities (LOCATO task) with sham stimulation

Treatment:

Device: tDCS

Behavioral: training