Regulating Homeostatic Plasticity and the Physiological Response to rTMS

University of Arkansas

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Tinnitus

Treatments: Device: sham tDCS and sham rTMS; Device: active tDCS and active rTMS; Device: sham tDCS and active rTMS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03309696

206326

Details and patient eligibility

About

This device-study includes a pilot, physiological investigation of normal human subjects. The aim is to determine how existing non-invasive neuromodulation devices affect brain circuitry as measured by EEG recording. Currently, the application of non-invasive neuromodulation is rarely guided by detailed knowledge of how neural activity is altered in the brain circuits that are targeted for intervention. This gap in knowledge is problematic for interpreting response variability, which is common. To address this gap, the current proposal aims to combine two forms of neuromodulation sequentially, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), to regulate homeostatic plasticity prior to rTMS delivery at different frequencies of rTMS. Homeostatic plasticity, the initial activation state of a targeted circuit, is a key determinant of whether rTMS induces long term potentiation (LTP) or long term depression (LTD) Yet, homeostatic plasticity is rarely measured or controlled in rTMS studies. We aim to control homeostatic plasticity by preconditioning the targeted circuits with tDCS prior to rTMS delivery. The protocol included an exploratory aim to examine physiological changes in patients with tinnitus but this aim was not part of the pilot physiological investigation and it could not be completed due to funding limitations.

Full description

Background and Rationale: The current proposal aims to combine two forms of neuromodulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), to regulate homeostatic plasticity prior to rTMS delivery at two different frequencies (1Hz and 10Hz). Homeostatic plasticity, the initial activation state of a targeted circuit, is a theoretical determinant of whether rTMS induces long term potentiation (LTP) or long term depression (LTD).Yet, homeostatic plasticity is rarely measured or controlled in rTMS studies. In a physiological investigation of health subjects, we aim to control homeostatic plasticity by preconditioning the targeted circuits with tDCS prior to rTMS delivery. The justification for this study is that controlling homeostatic plasticity can reduce subject variability and the knowledge gained can be used to optimize rTMS delivery. What is needed to move the field forward is a method for combining tDCS and rTMS and for measuring neuronal responses directly which we aim to establish in this study. The pilot study project will examine the targeted effects of neuromodulation in normal subjects. The brain regions targeted for intervention include auditory areas in the temporal cortex (TC) that process sounds and functionally connected regions of the dorsolateral frontal cortex (DLFC) that mediate sensory habituation. Due to funding limitations, only the 1 Hz rTMS condition could be initiated.

Enrollment: 10 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 21 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• complete the informed consent process
• men and women, age: 21-65 years
• negative pregnancy test (female subjects of childbearing age must take a pregnancy test).

Exclusion criteria

• a personal or family history of epilepsy,
• severe head injury, aneurysm, stroke, previous cranial neurosurgery,
• sever or recurrent migraine headaches,
• metal implants in the head or neck, a pacemaker,
• pregnancy,
• medications that lower seizure threshold,

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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10 participants in 4 patient groups

tDCS and 1 Hz rTMS delivered over TC

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive sham and active 2mA tDCS over the temporal cortex (TC) prior to receiving sham and active 1 Hz rTMS (900 rTMS pulses at 110% motor threshold) delivered to the TC. .

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS and active rTMS

Device: active tDCS and active rTMS

Device: sham tDCS and sham rTMS

tDCS and 10Hz rTMS delivered over TC

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive sham and active 2mA tDCS over the temporal cortex (TC) prior to receiving sham and active 10 Hz rTMS (900 rTMS pulses at 110% motor threshold) delivered to the TC.

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS and active rTMS

Device: active tDCS and active rTMS

Device: sham tDCS and sham rTMS

tDCS over DLFC and 1 Hz rTMS over TC

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive sham and active 2mA tDCS over the dorsolateral frontal cortex (DLFC) prior to receiving sham and active 1 Hz rTMS (900 rTMS pulses at 110% motor threshold) delivered to the TC.

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS and active rTMS

Device: active tDCS and active rTMS

Device: sham tDCS and sham rTMS

tDCS over DLFC and 10 Hz rTMS over TC

Experimental group

Description:

Participants receive sham and active 2mA tDCS over the dorsolateral frontal cortex (DLFC) prior to receiving sham and active 10 Hz rTMS (900 rTMS pulses at 110% motor threshold) delivered to the TC.

Treatment:

Device: sham tDCS and active rTMS

Device: active tDCS and active rTMS

Device: sham tDCS and sham rTMS