tDCS Effects on GABA Concentration and Brain Functional Connectivity in Older Adults of Retirement Age

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy Older Adults
• Interventions: Device: sham-tDCS; Device: tDCS

• Registration Number: NCT02794259
• Lead Sponsor: Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate whether anodal tDCS over the left M1 leads to a decrease of GABA concentration and alterations of functional brain connectivity in older people, compared to sham tDCS.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-04
• Study First Submitted: 2016-04-05
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-06-03
• Study First Posted: 2016-06-09
• Primary Completion: 2016-07
• Study Completion: 2016-08
• Status Verified: 2017-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-01-05
• Last Update Posted: 2017-01-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 24

Inclusion Criteria

• unobtrusive neuropsychological screening
• age: older adults of retirement age: ≥66 years

Exclusion Criteria

• Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or other neurological diseases.
• History of severe alcoholism or use of drugs.
• Severe psychiatric disorders such as depression, psychosis (if not in remission) and severe untreated medical problems.
• Contraindication for MRI (claustrophobia, metallic implants, ferromagnetic metals in the body, disorders of thermoregulation, pregnant women).

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Sham tDCS	sham-tDCS	Sham stimulation during resting state fMRI
Cathodal tDCS	tDCS	Cathodal stimulation during resting state fMRI
Anodal tDCS	tDCS	Anodal stimulation during resting state fMRI

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
GABA concentration assessed by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) after anodal tDCS adjusted for baseline levels	assessed immediately before and after a 15-min stimulation time	Investigation whether anodal tDCS leads to a significant reduction of M1-GABA concentration in older adults compared to sham stimulation.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Genotyping of learning related polymorphisms	assessed during baseline screening	To assess predictors of positive reaction to brain stimulation, genotyping of several learning related polymorphisms will be performed
Resting-state functional connectivity changes	assessed during a 15-min stimulation time	Functional connectivity as measured by resting-state fMRI during tDCS compared to sham
GABA concentration assessed by MRS before and after cathodal tDCS adjusted for baseline levels	assessed immediately before and after a 15-min stimulation time	To assess stimulation effects on GABA concentration by magnetic resonance spectroscopy are measured before and after cathodal tDCS.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin; 🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany