Brain Stimulation and Cognitive Training in Healthy Older Adults

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Aging
• Interventions: Device: Anodal tDCS; Behavioral: Intensive cognitive training

• Registration Number: NCT03838211
• Lead Sponsor: University Medicine Greifswald

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a tDCS-accompanied intensive cognitive training of working memory leads to performance improvement in healthy older individuals.

Detailed Description

The goal of the present study is to assess behavioral (primary) and neural effects of a multi-session cognitive training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Many studies to date have found tDCS to be an efficient method to enhance various cognitive functions by modulating cortical excitability in young adults, but its behavioral impact and underlying mechanisms in aging still need to be elucidated. Healthy older adults will participate in a three-week cognitive training with concurrent online tDCS application. Cognitive performance (primary), as well as structural and functional imaging data will be examined before, during and after the intervention. In order to draw conclusions about the effect of tDCS in addition to cognitive training, a control group, receiving sham stimulation during training, will be assessed. Furthermore, to assess neural correlates of performance improvement, functional and structural parameters will be measured with MRI before and after training. Follow-up sessions to assess long-term effects are planned four weeks and six months after the post assessment. The results of the study will offer valuable insights into efficacy of combined tDCS and cognitive training, as compared to training alone, in older adults. Moreover, improved understanding of tDCS effects on cognitive training performance and underlying neural correlates may help to develop novel approaches for cognitive decline in healthy and pathological aging.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-10-01
• Study First Submitted: 2019-02-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-02-08
• Study First Posted: 2019-02-12
• Primary Completion: 2019-12-01
• Study Completion: 2020-03-25
• Status Verified: 2021-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-04-30
• Last Update Posted: 2021-05-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 56

Inclusion Criteria

• Older adults (65 - 80 years);
• Right handedness;
• Unobtrusive neuropsychological screening

Exclusion Criteria

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia; other neurodegenerative neurological disorders; epilepsy; previous stroke;
• Severe and untreated medical conditions that precludes participation in the training, as determined by responsible physician;
• History of severe alcoholism or use of drugs;
• Severe psychiatric disorders such as depression (if not in remission) or psychosis;
• Contraindication for MRI (claustrophobia, metallic implants, ferromagnetic metals in the body, disorders of thermoregulation, pregnant women)

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
stimulation group	Anodal tDCS	Anodal tDCS + intensive cognitive Training
stimulation group	Intensive cognitive training	Anodal tDCS + intensive cognitive Training
sham group	Intensive cognitive training	Sham tDCS + intensive cognitive Training

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Working memory training performance (Letter Updating task)	3 weeks	Performance in a memory training task (Letter updating) under anodal tDCS compared to sham condition;operationalized by working Memory Updating performance assessed with number of correctly recalled letter lists in the letter updating task, analyzed immediately after training period (anodal condition versus sham)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Transfer outcomes	3 weeks	Performance in cognitive transfer tasks, comparing performance immediately before and after training period (anodal condition versus sham)
Neural correlates	3 weeks, 6 months	Structural and functional neural correlates of the intervention, as measured by structural, functional resting-state and diffusion weighted MRI, immediately before and after the intervention and 6 months after follow-up (anodal condition versus sham)
Working memory training performance (Markov task)	3 weeks	Performance in second memory training task (Markov decision making) under anodal tDCS compared to sham condition, analyzed immediately after training period (anodal condition versus sham)
Long-term outcomes	4 weeks after training, 6 months after 4-week follow-up	Long-term performance in training and transfer tasks, comparing performance immediately before and after training period with performance at 4 weeks and 6-months after training period (anodal condition versus sham)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University Medicine Greifswald; 🇩🇪 Greifswald, Germany