NCT02950506

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Cognitive Remediation Therapy for Interictal Dysfunction in Epilepsy

• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 0 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Minnesota · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 64 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether tDCS enhances the effect of cognitive remediation therapy on cognition and functional outcome in patients with epilepsy. There has been evidence that working memory performance is enhanced in healthy subjects. Acute tDCS studies have found improvements in working memory performance in subjects with other neurological diseases. To date, there have been no published studies examining whether can enhance learning during multi-session cognitive remediation over 2 weeks in subjects with epilepsy. This study could have potential application as a non-invasive clinical intervention for interictal dysfunction in epilepsy.

Detailed description

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting 50 million people worldwide. Patients suffer not only from recurring seizures, but also from cognitive deficits despite adequate treatment control. Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) is a therapeutic intervention that has recently shown promise in improving cognitive impairment in many neuropsychological disorders. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method that modulates cortical excitability. It works by applying weak electrical currents to the scalp that induce acute modifications of neuronal membrane potentials, producing long-lasting changes in the bioelectric activity of underlying brain tissue. It is postulated that tDCS enhances benefit gained through cognitive remediation therapy. These interventions have yet to be combined with each other for the treatment of interictal dysfunction in patients with epilepsy. The goal of the study is to investigate whether the introduction of tDCS in addition to CRT is effective in the treatment of cognitive impairment in patients suffering from epilepsy.

Conditions

• Epilepsy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	transcranial direct current stimulation	The anode will be placed over left DLPFC at F3, according to the 10-20 international system for EEG electrode placement. The cathode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area. They will be placed via two saline soaked electrode sponges (3 cm x 4.5 cm).After electrodes have been placed, the participants will be instructed to log into CRT software using a unique patient identifier. The CRT software that will be used will be Cogmed working memory training program (Pearson Education, Inc.)Active tDCS will be applied at a ramp-like fashion from 0 to 2mA over 10 seconds, and will be ramped down for the last 10 seconds of stimulation. Active tDCS will last 20 minutes each session. The sham procedure involves only 30 seconds of stimulation at 2mA.
OTHER	Cognitive Remediation Therapy	The CRT software that will be used will be Cogmed working memory training program (Pearson Education, Inc.). Cogmed is a targeted computerized training program that has been shown to improve working memory and attention. (Spencer-Smith 2015).

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-01-01
• Primary completion: 2020-03-01
• Completion: 2020-03-01
• First posted: 2016-11-01
• Last updated: 2022-01-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study