Non-invasive Nerve Stimulation and Cognitive Training to Improve Cognitive Performance in Healthy Older Adults

University of Florida

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Aging

Treatments: Behavioral: cognitive training; Device: Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04276805

IRB201902991

Details and patient eligibility

About

We need better tools to both enhance brain health and improve cognitive performance in healthy brain aging so that it can be delayed, reduced, or even reversed. The present proposal is designed to evaluate the pairing of cognitive training with a non-invasive neurostimulation technology that has shown promise in both increasing neuroplasticity and in enhancing cognitive performance, transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS).

Enrollment: 7 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 90 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy individuals willing to commit to study requirements

Exclusion criteria

• Neurological disorders to include traumatic brain injury.
• Evidence of dementia .
• Major psychiatric illness
• Unstable and chronic medical conditions.
• MRI contraindications (e.g., pregnancy, claustrophobia, metal implants that are contraindicated for MRI).
• Physical impairment precluding motor response or lying still or walking
• Hearing or vision deficits that will not allow for completion of assessments

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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7 participants in 2 patient groups

tVNS group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will undergo cognitive training with tVNS

Treatment:

Device: Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS)

Behavioral: cognitive training

Sham group

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Participants will undergo cognitive training with earlobe sham

Treatment:

Behavioral: cognitive training