Stimulating the Aging Brain Using Brain and Sensory Stimulation
Purpose
The goal of this project is to investigate whether transcranial electrical stimulation and sensory stimulation affect language outcomes in individuals with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). The main questions it aims to answer are: Does transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) affect verbal short-term memory (STM) in individuals with PPA? Does a single session of multisensory stimulation affect verbal STM in individuals with PPA? Researchers will compare active tACS to sham tACS (a fake stimulation condition) to see if active tACS improves verbal STM. Researchers will compare pre-multisensory stimulation to post-stimulation performance to see if multisensory stimulation improves verbal STM. Participants will: Undergo EEG, MRI (anatomical and functional) May complete a cognitive exam Undergo tACS over 3 separate sessions Undergo multisensory stimulation Complete language tasks before, during and/or after stimulation
Condition
- Primary Progressive Aphasia
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Over 45 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Clinical exam supports diagnosis of PPA and/or MCI with no report of difficulty functioning in basic or instrumental activities of daily living. - Completed clinical cognitive exam within 6 months of study baseline visit OR neuropsychological research battery within 6 months of study baseline visit.
Exclusion Criteria
- Evidence of dementia at baseline - Known history of neoplasm, symptomatic stroke, moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, or other significant neurologic event - Age <45 years. - Evidence of severe psychiatric illness (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia). - Presence of cardiac stimulators or pacemakers - Any other implants near the scalp or in the eye - Contraindications to MRI or stimulation - Pregnancy - History of ongoing or unmanaged seizures - History of dyslexia or other developmental learning disabilities
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- N/A
- Intervention Model
- Single Group Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- In a within-subject design, participants will receive in-phase tACS, anti-phase tACS and sham tACS with spatial targets and tACS frequency guided by baseline fMRI and EEG results. Participants will also undergo multisensory stimulation using light and/or sound flickers provided in the gamma range during a session separate from tACS.
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
- Masking Description
- Participants and personnel scoring the outcomes will be blinded.
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental tACS or multisensory stimulation |
All participants in a within-subject design will receive high-Definition-tACS, delivered via a battery operated alternating current stimulator (Soterix) using two center-surround montages. Targets of stimulation will be localized based on the 10-10 International EEG system with center electrodes placed at a frontal and a temporoparietal site. The current is turned on and increased in a ramplike fashion over approximately 30 seconds. Participants will undergo tACS with frequencies ranging from 4-40Hz for 20-minutes with 2 milliampere (mA) peak-to-peak intensity. For sham stimulation, tACS is turned off after the first 30 seconds. All participants will receive light and/or sound flicker stimulation using an off-the-shelf app for 20 minutes. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Medical College of Wisconsin
Detailed Description
The primary objective of the current project is to examine the effects of tACS and multisensory stimulation on verbal STM outcomes in individuals with PPA. The selection of parameters will be guided on the basis of oscillatory brain activity using language task-based or task-free EEG paradigms. Neuroimaging (MRI and functional MRI) will guide spatial targets of tACS. A secondary objective is to explore sources of individual variability in response to stimulation and whether these factors could offer insight into disease progression. This proof-of-concept, pilot project will generate essential preliminary data to help refine hypotheses for future clinical trials aimed at assessing the efficacy of these intervention strategies in predicting and treating (as in delaying) disease progression.