Direct Cortical Measurement of the Intensity and Pattern of Current Flow Produced by TDCS

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Epilepsy

In brief

The primary study objective is to measure the electrical fields evoked by tDCS using subjects who have implanted intracranial electrodes as part of their evaluation for epilepsy surgery. The measurements obtained in these subjects and their brain MRI will be employed to validate existing mathematical models. In the future, these refined models can be used to target tDCS to predetermined brain regions in healthy and subjects and patient populations. As described above in the safety section, the intensities of stimulation applied in this project are not expected to produce changes in brain function, are below intensities commonly applied in clinical trials, and fall well below safety limits suggested by animal studies.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02263274

Run by

NYU Langone Health

People needed

30

Starts

2013-11-01

Expected to finish

2026-01-09

Last updated by the study team

2026-02-27

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Subjects for this study will be recruited from patients undergoing routine intracranial electrode placement as part of the evaluation for surgical treatment of medically refractory epilepsy. Inclusion criteria include:
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Placement of intracranial electrode arrays (grid, strip and or depth electrodes) for seizure focus localization and/or mapping of eloquent cortex
• Able to provide written informed consent
• English-speaking patients only

You may not qualify if…

• Cognitive impairment (Intelligence Quotient <70)
• Facial or forehead skin breakdown that would interfere with surface electrode placement
• Contraindication to MRI
• Known adhesive allergy
• Space occupying intracranial pathology including brain tumor, ateriovenous malformation, cavernous malformation, prior surgical resection or significant encephalomalcia that would create unknown tissue inhomogeneity that cannot be accurately modeled.
• Subjects who have had an electrographic or clinical seizure within one hour prior to the stimulation procedure

Where it is running

• Neurology — New York, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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