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Treatment of Cognitive Deficits in Multiple Sclerosis With High-Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study tests whether gentle electrical stimulation of the brain, called tDCS, helps people with multiple sclerosis (MS) recall words. It is for people with relapsing-remitting MS who have trouble recalling information on memory tests.

The purpose of the study is to test whether low level electric stimulation, called transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), on the part of the brain (i.e., presupplementary motor area) thought to aid in memory will improve verbal retrieval in multiple sclerosis patients. The primary outcome measures are neuropsychological assessments of verbal retrieval, and the secondary measures are neuropsychological assessments of other cognitive abilities and electroencephalography (EEG) measures. Additionally, the study will examine the degree to which baseline assessments of cognition and concussion history predict responses to treatment over time, both on assessments administered within the intervention period and at follow-up.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Have relapsing-remitting MS, a type of MS with flare-ups and periods of recovery.
  • Have trouble recalling information, shown by memory testing in the study's lab.
  • Speak and read English fluently.

Who can't join

  • Have had an MS flare-up or taken a course of steroids in the past two months.
  • Take benzodiazepines, a type of medicine used for anxiety or sleep, without a stable dose for at least two months.
  • Have a condition that could affect the results, such as dementia, seizures, severe brain injury, brain tumor, stroke, abnormal blood vessels in the brain, Parkinson's disease, or Huntington's disease; or currently misuse drugs.
  • Cannot give informed consent, meaning you cannot understand the study and agree to join.
  • Have an implant in your head or a skull defect that affects how tDCS is given.
  • Take medicines that may affect tDCS: seizure medicines, L-dopa, carbamazepine, sulpiride, pergolide, lorazepam, rivastigmine, dextromethorphan, D-cycloserine, flunarizine, or ropinirole.
  • Take stimulants such as dextroamphetamine, amphetamine, modafinil, or armodafinil. These must be stopped during study enrollment.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: º Diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) º Memory retrieval deficit based on neuropsychological testing done in our lab º Must be fluent in speaking and reading English. Exclusion Criteria: º Relapse or acute MS exacerbation or a course of steroids in the two months preceding the testing º Participants using benzodiazepines must have been on a stable dose for at least two months º Potentially confounding psychological or neurological disorder, including: * dementia of any type * epilepsy or other seizure disorders * severe traumatic brain injury * brain tumor * present drug abuse * stroke * blood vessel abnormalities in the brain * Parkinson's disease * Huntington's disease º inability to give informed consent º cranial implants º skull defects that affect tDCS administration º use of medications that interact with or potentially interact with tDCS effects, including: * anti-convulsants * L-dopa * carbamazepine * sulpiride * pergolide * lorazepam * rivastigmine * dextromethorphan * D-cycloserine * flunarizine * ropinirole * stimulants (dextroamphetamine/amphetamine/modafinil/armodafinil) must be stopped during enrollment

Study sites (1)

TX