NCT04760899

Cerebellar TDCS for SRPCS Treatment

Bilateral Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for the Treatment of Sports-Related Post-Concussion Syndrome (SRPCS)

• Status: Active Not Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 31 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Iowa · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 30 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study is investigating the immediate and long-term effects of bilateral cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation on cognition, balance, and symptom severity in people with sports-related post-concussion syndrome. The central hypothesis is that tDCS will provide improvements in cognitive deficits, balance, and overall symptom attenuation in people with SRPCS both acutely and at 2 and 4 week follow ups. The researchers further hypothesize that cerebellar tDCS will ameliorate the symptoms of people with SRPCS.

Detailed description

The long term goal is to develop an effective and broadly applicable treatment modality for athletes who develop SPRCS. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of multiple (5 consecutive daily) sessions of 2 milliampere (mA) right cerebellar tDCS on cognitive deficits, balance, and overall attenuation of symptoms on people with SRPCS. Cognitive deficits will be assessed with the N-back Working Memory test, list sorting test, and dimensional change card test. Balance deficits will be assessed with the Berg Balance Scale and Standing Balance Test (SBT), and symptoms will be assessed via the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptom Questionnaire (RPQ). The cognitive and balance tasks are taken from the NIH motor toolbox and have been shown to be the most important for health and success in school and work, and the RPQ is one of the most widely used SRPCS evaluation tools. The central hypothesis is that tDCS will provide improvements in cognitive deficits, balance, and overall symptom attenuation in people with SRPCS both acutely and at 2 and 4 week follow ups. The researchers further hypothesize that cerebellar tDCS will ameliorate the symptoms of people with SRPCS. The rationale is that the results will improve the quality of life of these patients and may prevent impairment of cognitive function later in life.

Conditions

• Post-Concussion Syndrome

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation	Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation. It uses small electrodes to deliver small amounts of current to specific areas of the brain to either increase or decrease excitability.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-03-01
• Primary completion: 2027-07-01
• Completion: 2027-07-01
• First posted: 2021-02-18
• Last updated: 2025-03-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated device study