Brain Stimulation for Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
Neural Control of Gait & Navigation in ADRD
Recruiting
N/AInterventional Study
Aging
No Placebo Group
Every participant receives an active treatment — no one gets a placebo.
Healthy Volunteers Welcome
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Ready to participate?
Review the details below, then apply to join this clinical trial.
At a Glance
Age
65 – 89
Sex
Any
Study type
Interventional
Purpose
Basic Science
Participants needed
60 (estimated)
Sponsor
University of Florida · Other
Who this trial is looking for
This trial is looking for older adults who have concerns about their memory. Participants will receive brain stimulation while walking and doing tasks, with brain scans before and after the sessions.
Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
Rules you outDementiaTraumatic brain injury
You may be able to join if
I am between 65-89 years old
I can walk unassisted for ten minutes
I am willing to undergo all testing procedures
I speak English
I have reported cognitive complaints
I have a family history of dementia
I can perform daily activities normally
I have an informant to provide additional information
You may not be able to join if
I have had a medical event that required hospitalization in the past 6 months
I have severe visual impairment
I cannot undergo brain imaging due to claustrophobia or implants
I have a history of stroke
I have a major disability in daily activities
I have a severe neuromuscular disorder
I have severe cardiac disease
I am planning to move out of the area during the follow-up period
Summarized in plain language from this trial's official eligibility criteria.
The full criteria are further down this page — only the research team can
confirm whether you qualify.
Think this trial could be right for you?
Answer three quick questions written from this study's own rules to see if you may qualify. No account needed to find out.
Brain network segregation, or independent functioning, declines with age and is associated with slower walking speed. Here, the investigators will determine the extent to which brain vestibular network segregation can be altered with bilateral vestibular cortical transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. Participants will be randomly assigned…
Brain network segregation, or independent functioning, declines with age and is associated with slower walking speed. Here, the investigators will determine the extent to which brain vestibular network segregation can be altered with bilateral vestibular cortical transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. Participants will be randomly assigned to an active or sham stimulation condition. They will receive three, 20-minute sessions of tDCS while they are walking and performing cognitive tasks. MRI of the brain will be acquired before and after these three sessions.
Trial Locations
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Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* Community dwelling men and women 18-35 years old or 65-89 years old
* Ability to walk unassisted for ten minutes
* Willingness to undergo all testing procedures
* English speaking Additional Inclusion Criteria for those with SCD
* Subjective report of cognitive complaints with…
Inclusion Criteria:
* Community dwelling men and women 18-35 years old or 65-89 years old
* Ability to walk unassisted for ten minutes
* Willingness to undergo all testing procedures
* English speaking Additional Inclusion Criteria for those with SCD
* Subjective report of cognitive complaints with scores \>16 on the Cognitive Change Index (CCI-20), a validated scale of subjective cognitive decline (Saykin et al., 2013). This scale consists of 20 items that are rated on 5 point Likert scale, where 1= "Normal: No change compared to 5 years ago", 3= "Mild Problem: Some change compared to 5 years ago) and 5="Severe Problem: Much worse compared to 5 years ago".)
* No evidence of dementia or mild cognitive impairment based on cognitive screening (i.e., Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score within normal limits for age, education and sex using the NACC Uniform Data Set (UDS) norms (Weintraub et al., 2018)\[119\]
* No psychometric evidence of cognitive impairment based on performance on the Neuropsychological Battery from the NACC Unified Data Set, version 3\[119\]. The battery includes measures of attention, recent memory, language, visuospatial, and executive function. Norms are available for over 3600 older adults \[119\]. Scores on these measures cannot be lower than 1.0 SD (16th %ile) below normative values based on age, education, and gender.
* Reading at \> 8th grade level based on the reading subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test- IV.
* Global Clinic Dementia Rating (CDR) score must be 0 \[156\]
* Family history of dementia/probable Alzheimer's disease in first degree relative (parents, children, siblings)
* Normal functional behavior in terms of daily activities, based on the Functional Activities Scale\[122\]
* In line with recommendations of SCD task force (Molienueva et al., 2017)\[116\] an informant must be available for two reasons: a) to provide information about the participant's complaints using the informant version of the CCI-20, and b) to corroborate normal IADL's on the Functional Activity Questionnaire\[120\] .
Exclusion Criteria:
* Significant medical event requiring hospitalization in the past 6 months that has the potential to contaminate data being collected (fracture, hospitalization etc.)
* Severe visual impairment or corrected visual acuity less than 20/40, which would preclude completion of the assessments
* Inability to undergo brain imaging due to claustrophobia or implants such as pacemakers, heart valves, brain aneurysm clips, orthodontics, non-removable body jewelry, or shrapnel containing ferromagnetic metal
* tDCS ineligibility for Aim 3 (history of epilepsy, medications that alter cortical excitability, etc.)
* History of stroke
* Any history of clinically diagnosed traumatic brain injury resulting in \> 1 minute loss of consciousness
* Any major ADL disability (unable to feed, dress, bath, use the toilet, or transfer)
* Report of lower extremity pain due to osteoarthritis that significantly limits mobility
* Diagnosis or treatment for rheumatoid arthritis
* Known neuromuscular disorder or overt neurological disease (e.g. Multiple Sclerosis, Rhabdomyolysis, Myasthenia Gravis, Ataxia, Apraxia, post-polio syndrome, mitochondrial myopathy, Parkinson's Disease, ALS etc.)
* Unable to communicate because of severe hearing loss or speech disorder
* Planned surgical procedure or hospitalization in the next 12 months (joint replacement, coronary artery bypass graft, etc.)
* Severe pulmonary disease, requiring the use of supplemental oxygen
* Terminal illness, as determined by a physician
* Severe cardiac disease, including NYHA Class III or IV congestive heart failure, clinically significant aortic stenosis, recent history of cardiac arrest, use of a cardiac defibrillator, or uncontrolled angina
* Is planning to move out of the area during the follow up period
* Use of walker or wheel chair
* Failure to provide informed consent
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