Interventional Cross-over Study to Evaluate the Efficacy on Cognitive Performance of Alternating Current Brain Stimulation (tACS) in Patients Suffering From Neurodegenerative Diseases

Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale degli Spedali Civili di Brescia1 site in 1 country20 target enrollmentAugust 20, 2020

Overview

Brief Summary

Brain oscillations are ubiquitous in the human brain and have been implicated in cognitive and behavioral states defined in precisely tuned neural networks. In neurodegenerative disorders, neurodegeneration is accompanied by changes in oscillatory activity leading to the emerging concept of neurological and psychiatric disorders as "oscillopathies". Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for the vast majority of age-related dementias, is characterised by a prominent disruption of oscillations in the gamma frequency band. The restoration of gamma oscillations by neural entrainment in animal models of Alzheimer's disease have shown a remarkable decrease in the pathological burden of amyloid and tau via increased microglial activity, resulting in a significant increase of cognitive performances.

Transcranial alternating current brain stimulation (tACS), is a neurophysiological method of non-invasive modulation of the excitability of the central nervous system that is having an increasingly numerous spectrum of potential therapeutic applications. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this method in modulating the natural frequencies of cerebral oscillation, underlying multiple cognitive processes such as verbal memory, perception and working memory.

On the basis of these premises, the treatment with gamma tACS is proposed in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease.

In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study, the investigators will evaluate whether a single stimulation with gamma tACS on the posterior parietal cortex can improve symptoms in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer's disease.

Detailed Description

Brain oscillations are ubiquitous in the human brain and have been implicated in cognitive and behavioral states defined in precisely tuned neural networks. In neurodegenerative disorders, neurodegeneration is accompanied by changes in oscillatory activity leading to the emerging concept of neurological and psychiatric disorders as "oscillopathies". Alzheimer's disease, which accounts for the vast majority of age-related dementias, is characterised by a prominent disruption of oscillations in the gamma frequency band. The restoration of gamma oscillations by neural entrainment in animal models of Alzheimer's disease have shown a remarkable decrease in the pathological burden of amyloid and tau via increased microglial activity, resulting in a significant increase of cognitive performances. Transcranial alternating current brain stimulation (tACS), is a neurophysiological method of non-invasive modulation of the excitability of the central nervous system that is having an increasingly numerous spectrum of potential therapeutic applications. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of this method in modulating the natural frequencies of cerebral oscillation, underlying multiple cognitive processes such as verbal memory, perception and working memory. On the basis of these premises, the treatment with gamma tACS is proposed in patients affected by Alzheimer's disease. In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study, the investigators will evaluate whether a single stimulation with gamma tACS on the posterior parietal cortex can improve symptoms in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer's disease. Subjects will be randomized in two groups, one receiving a single treatment with gamma tACS (40 Hz) first and the other receiving sham stimulation. After one week the treatments will be exchanged. Patients will be evaluated with neuropsychological tests and neurophysiological measures of cholinergic transmission.

Registry

clinicaltrials.gov

Start Date

August 20, 2020

End Date

September 30, 2020

Last Updated

5 years ago

Study Type

Interventional

Study Design

Crossover

Sex

All

Investigators

Sponsor

Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale degli Spedali Civili di Brescia

Responsible Party

Principal Investigator

Barbara Borroni

Professor

Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale degli Spedali Civili di Brescia

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

•Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Alzheimer's disease (according to Albert et al., Alzheimers Dement 2011).

Exclusion Criteria

•Cerebrovascular disorders, previous stroke, hydrocephalus, and intra-cranial mass documented by MRI.
•History of traumatic brain injury or other neurological diseases.
•Serious medical illness other than FTD
•History of seizures
•Pregnancy
•Metal implants in the head (except dental fillings)
•Electronic implants (i.e. pace-maker, implanted medical pump)
•Age \<18 years

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test scores

Time Frame: Baseline (immediately before the intervention) - Immediately after the intervention

Participants are given a list of 15 unrelated words repeated over five different trials and are asked to repeat. Another list of 15 unrelated words are given and the patient must again repeat the original list of 15 words and then again after 30 minutes. The score ranges from 0 (worse performance) to 15 (best performance).

Changes in Face-Name Associative Memory Test scores

Time Frame: During the intervention

The Face-Name Associative Memory Test is a cross-modal associative memory test, it includes 20 face-name pairs. The administration procedure starts with the presentation of 20 faces with each name and participants should read the name underneath the faces and try to learn each face-name pair. After 5 minutes, the faces are shown one by one and participants are asked to recall the associated names from 4 different names. The correct number of pairs recalled is recorded. The score ranges from 0 (worse performance) to 20 (best performance).