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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT02839993

tDCS Effects on Associative Learning in Older Adults of Retirement Age

The aim of this study is to investigate whether a tDCS-accompanied training of audio-visual associative memory leads to a performance improvement in healthy older individuals.

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Older Adults

Age range

66 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Berlin, 10117, Germany

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Age: old-retired (≥66 years).
  • Right handedness
  • unobtrusive neuropsychological screening

Exclusion criteria

  • Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or other neurological diseases.
  • History of severe alcoholism or use of drugs.
  • Severe psychiatric disorders such as depression, psychosis (if not in remission) and severe untreated medical problems.
  • Contraindication for MRI (claustrophobia, metallic implants, ferromagnetic metals in the body, disorders of thermoregulation, pregnant women)

Treatment and study plan

tDCS

Device

Training

Behavioral

Other names: intensive training of picture-word associations

Primary outcomes

  1. Performance in a verbal associative learning paradigm under anodal tDCS compared to sham tDCS.

    Time frame: Performance is assessed within 1 day immediately after training period (several learning blocks) compared to sham

    Investigation whether anodal tDCS leads to improved performance accuracy in the Wernicko task compared to sham stimulation.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Functional connectivity predictors

    Time frame: assessed during baseline testing

    Connectivity as measured by resting-state fMRI during baseline as predictors for performance and tDCS responsiveness

  2. Structural predictors

    Time frame: assessed during baseline testing

    Microstructure of white matter (Fractional Anisotropy) as measured by diffusion tensor imaging during baseline as predictors for performance and tDCS responsiveness

  3. Genotyping of learning related polymorphisms

    Time frame: assessed during baseline screening

    To assess predictors of positive reaction to brain stimulation, genotyping of several learning related polymorphisms will be performed.

  4. Other cognitive outcomes: Attention performance

    Time frame: Performance is assessed within 1 day before and after tDCS + training compared to sham

    Digit span forward performance assessed before and after stimulation to test for tDCS effects on attention

  5. Other cognitive outcomes: working memory

    Time frame: Performance is assessed within 1 day before and after tDCS + training compared to sham

    Digit span backwards performance assessed before and after stimulation to test for tDCS effects on working memory

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Associative Learning in Older Adults

Acronym: TRAINSTIM2

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Jul 21, 2016
Registry last updated
May 7, 2021

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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