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Remotely-supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for At-home Treatment of Fatigue and Cognitive Slowing in Parkinson's Disease

NCT03189472•NYU Langone Health

Summary

This is a double-blind randomized controlled pilot study to test the effects of Remotely-Supervised (RS)-tDCS using a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex montage to ameliorate fatigue and cognitive slowing in PD. Fatigue and slowed thinking are very prevalent symptoms in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). To date there are no concrete effective treatment available for either symptom. This study will test transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to ameliorate fatigue and slowed thinking in PD. tDCS is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that is low-cost, relatively safe, and reproducible when conducted in repeat clinic visits. Following procedures for our validated protocol, participants will receive training on the use of study tDCS device and pre configured laptop computer. The device will be programmed to deliver either active or sham tDCS (all study personnel and participants will be blinded), and operated with unlock codes provided by the study technician daily to release one session. Once trained, and following an initial in-clinic baseline tDCS tolerability test and initial treatment session, participants will use the equipment to complete the remaining sessions from their home using our tele medicine platform. Remote supervision will be provided using HIPAA secure online video conference with the study technician following clearly-defined operational procedures. Participants will be monitored to determine if any predefined "stop" criteria are met using VSee software, a telemedicine software. Additionally, Team Viewer software will allow study technicians to troubleshoot any computer issues, to initiate the video conference on behalf of participants, and to remotely supervise the entire tDCS session.

Eligibility

Age

35 - 89 years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria

•Diagnosis of PD confirmed by neurologist;
•Parkinson fatigue scale binary coding scoring a score of \> 7;
•Able to understand the informed consent process and provide consent to participate in the study
•Has stable and continuous access to internet service at home compatible with the study laptop (Wi-Fi or ethernet cable)
•Adequate internet capacity for remote monitoring, as tested by http://www.speedtest.net/)
•Subjects who are stable in their PD medication for 2 or more weeks prior to enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria

•Visual, auditory and motor deficits that would prevent full ability to understand study instructions or operate the tDCS device or study laptop, as judged by treating neurologist or study staff
•Current chronic headaches or migraines. In addition, if a subject has had a change in the rate or severity of head pressure, headache, or migraine in the past two weeks, they are excluded.
•History of significant head trauma (e.g., brain injury, brain surgery) or medical device implanted in the head (such as Deep Brain Stimulator) or in the neck (such as a Vagus Nerve Stimulator)
•Any skin disorder/sensitive skin (e.g., eczema, severe rashes, blisters, open wounds, burn including sunburns, cuts or irritation, or other skin defects) which compromise the integrity of the skin at or near stimulation locations where electrodes are placed
•Serious uncontrolled medical condition (e.g., cancer or acute myocardial infarction)
•Alcohol or other substance use disorder
•Hoehn and Yahr score \>3
•Pregnant or breastfeeding
•History of dementia or Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score \<20
•Not capable of passing the neuropsychology /computer and tDCS aptitude test
+1 more criteria

Locations (1)

New York University School of Medicine

New York, New York, United States

Key Dates

Start Date

November 1, 2017

Primary Completion Date

May 1, 2020

Completion Date

May 1, 2020

Last Updated

August 21, 2020

Enrollment

ACTUAL participants

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Interventions

Active tDCS

DEVICE

Sham tDCS

DEVICE

Characterizing the Pathophysiological Role of the Pallido-thalamocortical Motor Pathway in Parkinson's Disease.

NCT06692920

Parkinson Disease

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RECRUITINGPHASE1

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Autonomic FailurePure Autonomic Failure+3 more

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Data Source & Attribution

This clinical trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

ClinicalTrials.gov last update: August 21, 2020Data synced to Clareo: March 29, 2026

Modifications: This data has been reformatted for display purposes. Eligibility criteria have been parsed into inclusion/exclusion sections. Location data has been geocoded to enable distance-based search. For the authoritative and most current information, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Neither the United States Government nor Clareo Health make any warranties regarding the data. Check ClinicalTrials.gov frequently for updates.

View ClinicalTrials.gov Terms and Conditions

Remotely-supervised Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for At-home Treatment of Fatigue and Cognitive Slowing in Parkinson's Disease

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

Characterizing the Pathophysiological Role of the Pallido-thalamocortical Motor Pathway in Parkinson's Disease.

[18F]F-DOPA Imaging in Patients With Autonomic Failure

Montelukast in Parkinson Disease

Exercise for Cognitive Excellence in Parkinson's Disease

The Effect of Functional Rotational Exercises on Fall Risk and Mobility in Parkinson's Disease Patients

SAD Study in Patients With Parkinson's Disease and Motor Fluctuations