Investigating Different Frequencies of Transcranial Electrical Stimulations in Dementia Population

Recruiting now · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Dementia

In brief

Dementia is a prevalent condition with no known cure. It affects not only the person with dementia but also the family. This study will investigate the effects of applying different transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) waveforms to find the optimal stimulation when paired with cognitive exercise on older adults with dementia. It is a placebo-controlled double-blind study with statistical rigor. In addition, the investigators will investigate technological methods to monitor changes due to the intervention. These include functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), electroencephalography (EEG), electrovestibulography (EVestG), and balance measurements using accelerometers. fNIRS measures oxygenated and deoxygenated blood flow to the brain and it may help to understand neuronal changes due to intervention. EEG measures the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp to study the brain's response to different electrical stimulations treatments. EVestG is a non-invasive measure of the vestibuloacoustic system in both background (no motion) and in response to passive whole-body tilt stimuli. We hypothesize there is a direct link between vestibular system deficiencies and Alzheimer's. Lastly, the investigators will measure the effects of electrical stimulation on balance by measuring postural sway using two accelerometers. This study investigates the effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with different protocols for frequencies to determine the most effective treatment to improve cognitive abilities and working memory for people with dementia. The global objective of the proposed study is to investigate the effects of different tES in improving the cognitive status of older adults with dementia, when paired simultaneously with cognitive training. The general objectives include the following: 1. Run a human research randomized and double-blind study to address the global objective of the study with statistical rigor. 2. Investigate the correlation of fNIRS outcomes with those of the primary outcome measures of the study in Objective 1 as well as its predictivity to the treatment at baseline. 3. Investigate the effects of different tES on EEG recordings as well as its predictivity to the treatment at baseline. 4. Investigate the effects of different tES on balance for older adults with cognitive impairment. 5. Investigate the correlation of EVestG outcomes with those of the primary outcome measures of the study in Objective 1 as well as its predictively to the treatment at baseline. 6. Disseminate the project results and design the next follow up project.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06547021

Run by

University of Manitoba

People needed

100

Starts

2024-09-20

Expected to finish

2027-08-31

Last updated by the study team

2025-11-14

Who can join

Age: 50 and older, up to 95. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• MoCA score between 5 and 24
• Between the age of 50 and 95 years old

You may not qualify if…

• Being diagnosed with Parkinson's, Parkinsonian dementia, Huntington disease, speech significant aphasia and intellectual disability, major depression/anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or any other major mood disorder.
• Having a History of epileptic seizures or epilepsy
• Inability to adequately communicate in English
• Impaired vision or hearing severe enough to impair performance in cognitive tests
• Current substance abuse disorder
• Currently participating in another therapeutic study for dementia
• Change to medication for Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or depression

Where it is running

• Riverview Health Centre — Winnipeg, Canada (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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