TDCS to Improve Motivation and Memory in Elderly (TIME)

NCT04268186 | Unknown DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 18-07-20R21AG061743
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Fundamental advancements in understanding successful aging are limited by the lack of causal, rather than just correlational methods to connect age-related changes in memory ability to changes in brain structure and function. In this study, non-invasive electric brain stimulation will be used as a tool to create causal links between successful memory function in aging and brain structures associated with motivation. Recently, it was shown that a group of elderly, dubbed "superagers", are indistinguishable from young adults in memory performance and the structure of cortical limbic regions. A key superaging region is mid-cingulate cortex (MCC), a brain structure associated with motivation and tenacity. The MCC is a hub region that synchronizes information flow between three core brain networks. The goal of the research is to explore the contribution of motivation to memory performance by modulating MCC connectivity with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to provide the first causal evidence that experimentally induced motivation can improve memory performance. Since MCC has not been stimulated with tDCS before, we will test three different stimulation protocols and compare against a placebo. The stimulation protocols were computationally optimized for this project. The primary aim is to find the stimulation protocol most successful at improving memory performance. In order to elucidate the mechanisms behind these changes, effects of stimulation on motivation and network connectivity will be investigated. If indeed memory can be improved by increasing motivation and effort via stimulating MCC, this study will generate new insights into the motivational mechanisms of successful aging.

Conditions

Motivation

Keywords

cognitive functioning; elderly; healthy; tDCS; motivation; memory; structural MRI; resting-state fMRI

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Change in "Feeling of difficulty" from baseline

  Self-reports of difficulty will be queried during a memory task. Feeling of difficulty asks "How easy or difficult do you think the task will be (did you find the task)?" Answer is reported on a 7 point-scale.

  1 week

• Change in "Estimates of effort" from baseline

  Self-reports of effort will be queried during a memory task. Estimates of Effort asks "How much effort do you think it will take you (did it take you) to complete the task?" Answer is reported on a 7 point-scale.

  1 week

• Change in "NASA Task Load Index" from baseline

  NASA Task Load Index will be queried during a memory task. It includes self-report scales that provide state markers of cognitive effort.

  1 week

• Change in "Time to complete unsolvable anagrams" from baseline

  Time in seconds participants spend on unsolvable anagram task before quitting.

  1 week

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Change in "Memory recognition discriminability (d')" from baseline

  1 week

• Change in "Intrinsic functional connectivity strength" from baseline

  1 week

• Change in "California Verbal Learning Test" score from baseline

  1 week

Study Arms (4)

Direct tDCS

EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was computationally optimized to target mid-cingulate cortex directly.

Device: Direct tDCS

Indirect tDCS

EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was computationally optimized to target the middle frontal gyrus, a brain area connected to mid-cingulate cortex.

Device: Indirect tDCS

Personalized tDCS

EXPERIMENTAL

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be individually optimized to simultaneously stimulate key nodes connected to mid-cingulate cortex, including anterior insula, MFG and supramarginal gyrus.

Device: Personalized tDCS

Sham tDCS

SHAM COMPARATOR

Placebo transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied.

Device: Sham tDCS

Interventions

Direct tDCS DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used is two electrodes at AFz and CPz of the 10-10 electrode system.

Direct tDCS

Indirect tDCS DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used is two electrodes at AF3 and AF4 of the 10-10 electrode system.

Indirect tDCS

Personalized tDCS DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. The configuration used will be optimized to stimulate key nodes connected to MCC, including anterior insula, MFG and supramarginal gyrus, and designed using an individual head model that will be combined with each subject's measured connectivity map. The number of electrodes will be minimally 2 and maximally 32.

Personalized tDCS

Sham tDCS DEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) will be applied. Stimulation amplitude is 2 mA. Stimulation duration is 20 minutes. Placebo stimulation will be applied by ramping the current up and immediately down over 30 seconds. The configuration used is two electrodes at AF3 and AF4 of the 10-10 electrode system.

Sham tDCS

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• between the ages of 65 and 80
• normal or corrected to normal vision
• fluent in speaking, reading and understanding English
• right-handed

You may not qualify if:

• any metal implants that may cause harm through MRI scanning
• other metals that may interfere with obtaining MRI signals
• claustrophobic
• pregnancy
• history of neurological or psychiatric illnesses
• history of fainting, seizures or epilepsy
• history of migraines
• history of drug abuse
• learning disability
• intracranial lesion
• any prescription or regular medication except for birth control
• any uncontrolled medical condition
• skin disease or damage on scalp
• hair style or head dress that prevents electrode contact with the scalp
• any condition affecting agility of hands (e.g. acute or chronic tenosynovitis, active joint deformity of arthritic origin)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Northeastern University: lead
• Massachusetts General Hospital: collaborator
• National Institute on Aging (NIA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation Therapy; Therapeutics; Convulsive Therapy; Psychiatric Somatic Therapies; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Electroshock; Psychological Techniques

Study Officials

• Sumientra M Rampersad, PhD

  Northeastern University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sumientra M Rampersad, PhD

CONTACT

6173733880; s.rampersad@northeastern.edu

Alexandra Touroutoglou, PhD

CONTACT

atourout@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Research Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 10, 2020
• First Posted: February 13, 2020
• Study Start: January 22, 2020
• Primary Completion: September 1, 2020
• Study Completion: September 1, 2020
• Last Updated: February 13, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: Data will be made available within 6 months after publication.
• Access Criteria: Data will be freely available on our lab website.

Locations

US (1)