Open Label Treatment With tDCS for Parkinson's and Related Disorders for Improvement of Speech, Gait and Mood

Georgetown University

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 1

Conditions: Parkinson's Disease

Treatments: Device: tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02104401

00000

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research will help us to understand whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can safely improve recovery of speech and language abilities, gait , and mood in people with Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Some of the disorders that will be studied to understand if tDCS can be useful include Parkinson's Disease, Multi-System Atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

Enrollment: 10 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Parkinson's disease or a related disorder (e.g. Multiple Systems Atrophy) as diagnosed by a neurologist specializing in Movement Disorders
• Age >= 18 years

Exclusion criteria

• Skull defect at or near site of tDCS delivery.
• History of a significant stroke or traumatic brain injury.
• History of other brain conditions that could impact interpretation of results (such as MS, brain tumor, encephalitis).
• Presence of implanted electrical or metallic devices in the head or body (examples include cardiac pacemakers or defibrillators, Baclofen pumps, deep brain stimulators, ventricular shunts with metallic parts, vagus nerve stimulators)
• Presence of ferrous metal in the head (except titanium; for instance shrapnel)
• History of psychiatric disease requiring hospitalization, electroconvulsive therapy, or ongoing medication use (other than common antidepressants)
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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10 participants in 1 patient group

tDCS

Experimental group

Description:

tDCS will be applied with a Soterix CT tDCS Device with a HD-tDCS 4x1 Multi-Channel Stimulation Interface. During stimulation, a low level of constant DC electrical current (1-2 mA) will be applied via the electrodes. Current will be ramped up over 10-60 seconds, and typically causes very mild tingling and itching sensations. The current will be applied for no more than 20 minutes per session, at which time the current is ramped down over 10-60 seconds. Subjects will be seated in a chair throughout tDCS administration. Subjects will receive tDCS 5 days/week for 4 weeks.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS