Direct Measurement of Motor Cortical Responses to tDCS

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has shown the potential to improve symptoms in patients with movement deficits, such as Parkinson's disease and chronic stroke. However, the effects of tDCS have so far not been proven on a wider scale due to lack of knowledge regarding exactly how tDCS works. This has limited the adoption of this potentially useful therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease, chronic stroke and other conditions affecting movement. The investigators hypothesize that by studying the effects of tDCS in subjects performing a motor task, the brain signals mediating improvements in motor control will be identified. The investigators will use both noninvasive and invasive methods to explore this hypothesis. The investigators expect this combined approach to broaden understanding of tDCS application in conditions affecting movement and possibly lead to therapeutic advances in these populations.

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Key information

Conditions

Parkinson Disease Basal Ganglia Diseases Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Movement Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Parkinsonian Disorders Synucleinopathies

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Age 18 or older
Previous consent to be contacted regarding potential participation in a research study at Medical University of South Carolina

Exclusion criteria

Subjects unable to actively participate in the consent process physically and/or cognitively
Pregnancy
Presence of scalp injury or disease
Prior history of seizures
Metal implants in head or neck
Prior intracranial surgery
Prior brain radiotherapy
Prior history of intracranial tumor, intracranial infection or cerebrovascular malformation

Treatment and study plan

transcranial direct current stimulation (invasive recording)

Device

Subjects are brought into the operating room. The scalp is prepped with a sterilizing solution. Following infiltration with local anesthetic and incision, a 6-contact electrocorticography strip is inserted into the burr hole covering primary motor cortex. Electrocorticography strip terminals are connected to an amplifier for signal recording. Gas-sterilized transcranial direct current stimulation electrodes are placed on the scalp directly overlying primary motor cortex. tDCS electrodes are connected to a low-current generator. During electrocorticographic recording, stimulation is turned on while subjects are asked to flex each arm. At the conclusion of the experiment, the electrocorticography strip and tDCS electrodes are removed and the surgery proceeds as planned.

Primary outcomes

Change in Primary Motor Cortex Beta-Band Spectral Power During Movement Preparation With Anodal tDCS

Time frame: Intraoperative assessment during deep brain stimulation surgery: baseline (pre-tDCS) and during anodal tDCS; change from baseline during movement preparation reported.

Primary motor cortex (PriMC) beta-band (13-30 Hz) spectral power was measured using subdural electrocorticography (sECoG) in patients with Parkinson's disease undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. Spectral power was analyzed during the movement preparation phase of a cued arm-reaching task. The outcome represents the change in beta-band spectral power during anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) relative to pre-stimulation baseline, averaged across task trials for each participant.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Medical University of South Carolina

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Direct Measurement of Motor Cortical Responses to Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Important dates

Study start: 2021
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Feb 18, 2021
Registry last updated: May 1, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed