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rTMS for Cognitive Rehabilitation After TBI

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Cognitive Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Interventions
Device: repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Registration Number
NCT03642158
Lead Sponsor
Hunter Holmes Mcguire Veteran Affairs Medical Center
Brief Summary

A novel and promising therapy for cognitive dysfunction is non-invasive brain stimulation, of which transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a form. TMS is currently FDA-approved for use in depression and migraine. It is under investigation for use in a number of other neurologic and psychiatric disorders. In addition to its potential to improve affective symptoms, recent research has suggested that TMS targeted to select cortical regions can also improve cognition. In trials of TMS therapy for psychiatric disorders, several studies have shown benefits for cognitive function alongside symptom amelioration. In healthy persons, a course of stimulation of the parietal area improved objective measures of learning and memory. Among persons with TBI, there have been case reports supporting improvement in cognitive function and postconcussive symptoms; however, there have not yet been any controlled studies of TMS for TBI-related cognitive dysfunction.

Detailed Description

Subjects with a history of TBI will be recruited into this double-blind, sham controlled, crossover with washout study design. Study will involve one week (5 consecutive days) of treatment, a 7 day off period, followed by a second week of rTMS treatment. Motor threshold will determine level of stimulation, and active rTMS stimulation will occur of the right DLPFC. Subjects will be paid for their time.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
34
Inclusion Criteria
  1. one or more mild to moderate TBIs*;
  2. at least one year but no more than 20 years from worst injury;
  3. ability to complete cognitive and neurophysiological testing;
  4. available for duration of study;
  5. between 18 and 65 years of age;
  6. mild or greater cognitive symptoms on the TBI-QOL Cognition General Concerns scale
Exclusion Criteria
  1. severe or penetrating TBI;
  2. history of psychotic or manic illness;
  3. history of intracranial surgery;
  4. history of skull fracture;
  5. history of seizures in candidate or candidate's family
  6. ferrous metallic implants or implantable medical device;
  7. medications that are known to reduce seizure threshold;
  8. pregnancy.
  9. history of multiple sclerosis, stroke, brain tumor, epilepsy

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Active TMSrepetitive Transcranial Magnetic StimulationSubjects receive rTMS over the right DLPFC, in 2 second bursts at 10 Hz, followed by a 19 second break, for a total of 20 minutes. Stimulator intensity is set to 80% of motor threshold on day one, and 100% of motor threshold for the remainder of intervention. This paradigm is continued for 5 consecutive days.
Sham TMSrepetitive Transcranial Magnetic StimulationIdentical to active arm, but stimulator intensity is reduced to 30% of motor threshold, and the stimulator coil is oriented tangentially to the skull to "stimulate" air space above the head instead of cortical tissue.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Auditory target detection task10 minutes

subjects listen to a series of sounds, and will monitor for a specific sounds.

California Verbal Learning Test II10 minutes

subjects are required to learn and recall an unfamiliar word list.

DKEFS Verbal Fluency10 minutes

a measure of internal search and selection process, requires subject to generate several lists of items.

Ruffs 2 and 7 selective attention test~5 minutes

subjects must visually search for the numbers 2 and 7 among other distractors.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
EEG10 minutes

resting state power spectra of EEG will be collected to analyze.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center

🇺🇸

Richmond, Virginia, United States

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