tDCS on Parkinson's Disease Cognition (NCT03025334)
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment of Cognitive Dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
Parkinson's disease (PD) has been classically regarded as a "movement disorder", so earlier work has focused on treating motor symptoms only. As PD patients now have longer life expectancy, the relatively slowly progressing cognitive deficits (compared to their motor deficits) have become one of the major challenges. Approximately 80% of PD patients eventually become demented. Therefore cognitive dysfunction is one of the most significant factors affecting the quality of life of patients with PD. While dementia in Parkinson's disease is routinely treated by cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., donepezil and rivastigmine), their efficacy on mild cognitive impairment found in non-demented PD is questionable. Alternative approaches have been proposed including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) but no consensus has been reached. This can be attributed mainly to: (1) imprecise knowledge of the underlying functional circuitry mediating this disease manifestation and (2) inter-individual variability. Here, the investigators will utilize a novel personalized network analysis approach to elucidate on the underlying mechanisms of the effect of tDCS on cognitive dysfunction in non-demented PD patients. It has been well documented that the caudate nucleus plays an important role in cognitive dysfunction found in PD. In the investigators' preliminary resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, they have shown that the connectivity of the right caudate nucleus is correlated to cognitive status of PD patients measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The investigators hypothesize that tDCS on the left and/or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may restore the functional connectivity of the right caudate nucleus which may in turn improve patients' cognitive performance.
Who can join: To join this study, participants generally need to meet the listed inclusion criteria (6 items) and avoid the listed exclusions (12 items).
Location: University of Manitoba — Winnipeg, Manitoba
Age range: 40 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistCheck every box below. If you can check all of them, you may meet the study's basic screening requirements (final eligibility is confirmed by the site team).
Usually NOT eligible if any of the following apply:
- Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with dementia (defined as a Montreal Cognitive Assessment score \< 18)
- Atypical parkinsonian features including myoclonus, apraxia, oculomotor abnormalities, ataxia, sensory loss, or pyramidal signs.
- Abnormal MRI
- metal implants or a cardiac pacemaker
- Pregnant or breastfeeding women (female subjects of child bearing potential will be screened for pregnancy before MRI imaging).
- severe dyskinesia that may interfere with the quality of the scan (e.g., dyskinesia involving head movement).
- severe hypertension.
- cardiovascular disease.
- Patients with a history of seizure, stroke, moderate to severe head injury, high intracranial pressure, severe headaches, or presence of other neurologic disease that may be associated with an altered seizure threshold; or concurrent medication use, such as tricyclic antidepressants, neuroleptic medications, or other drugs that are known to lower seizure threshold
- secondary conditions that may significantly alter electrolyte balance or lower seizure threshold.
- Family history of epilepsy.
🔍 Extracted verbatim from the official NIH eligibility criteria. Always confirm with the study coordinator.
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (1 Sites)
- University of Manitoba — Winnipeg, Manitoba
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (204) 318-2566
Email: ji.ko@umanitoba.ca
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Parkinson Disease
- Remote Optimization, Adjustment and Measurement for Deep Brain Stimulation — Tucson, Arizona
- A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Two Doses of AP-472 as Adjunctive Therapy to Levodopa in Parkinson's Disease (PD) Participants With Motor Fluctuations — Little Rock, Arkansas
- Investigating Inhibitory Control Networks in Parkinson's Disease — Birmingham, Alabama
- Parkinson's Disease Progression Study — Aurora, Colorado
- The GBA Multimodal Study in Parkinson's Disease — Portland, Oregon
- Speech Amplification Devices for Parkinson Disease: Talker- and Technology-Driven Enhancements — East Lansing, Michigan
Explore by condition: All Parkinson Disease clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.