HealthyNCT02557841
Cerebellar tDCS on Motor Learning of Healthy Individuals
A study testing tDCS in people with Healthy, run by Universidade Federal de Pernambuco at 1 site in Brazil.
Trial summary
A crossover trial with healthy volunteers will be conducted. Three sessions will be performed with at least 48 hours washout period to minimize carry-over effects. In each session, volunteers will be submitted to: fatigue and attention levels evaluation, handwriting test, serial reaction time task (SRTT) before and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy
- What is being tested?
- tDCS
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBrazil
- Study dates
- Sep 2015to Sep 2016
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Right-handed (assessed by Edinburgh Handedness Inventory)
- Healthy volunteers (self report)
- Absence of neurological and psychiatric diseases
- No history of severe musculoskeletal injury on wrists and fingers
- Without using drugs or neuroactive substances regularly
Who cannot join
- Pregnancy
- Presence of metallic implant in close contact to the target stimulation area
- Acute eczema under the target stimulation area
- Pacemaker
- History of seizures or epilepsy
- Hemodynamic instability
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Brazil1 site
Applied Neuroscience Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Recife, Pernambuco, 50670-900
About this study
Official title: Effects of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) on Motor Learning of Healthy Individuals
A crossover trial with healthy volunteers will be conducted. Three sessions will be performed with at least 48 hours washout period to minimize carry-over effects. In each session, volunteers will be submitted to: fatigue and attention levels evaluation, handwriting test, serial reaction time task (SRTT) before and after ctDCS conditions and after session, a performance perception evaluation.
Read the detailed description
A crossover, pseudo-randomized, sham-controlled and triple blind will be performed in order to evaluate ctDCS effects on motor learning, since evidence pointed to the crucial role of cerebellum on motor behavior. A non-involved research will conduct a pseudo-randomization (www.randomization.com) to warrant the counterbalanced sessions order and the allocation concealment. Volunteers, researchers and statistical analysis will be blinded to ctDCS condition.
After given prior informed consent, volunteers will be submitted to three experimental sessions: anodal ctDCS, cathodal ctDCS and sham ctDCS. Fatigue and attention levels, handwriting test and SRTT will be performed before and after stimulation. In addition, performance perception evaluation will be assessed at the end of session.
Electrical current will be delivered through a DC stimulator (NeuroConn Plus, Germany) using a pair of saline-soaked sponge electrodes (surface 35cm²). The active electrode (anode or cathode) will be placed over the left cerebellum (3 cm lateral to the inion) and the reference, over the left arm with current intensity of 2mA, fade in and fade out of 10 seconds, during 20 minutes. Sham tDCS has been used in several studies to evaluate active tDCS effects.
Sham ctDCS will be applied using the same electrodes placement and parameter settings of cathodal ctDCS however, stimulation will last only 30 seconds but volunteers will be with electrodes montage for 20 minutes. Because the device will be automatically turned off without volunteer's perception, early sensations (mild to moderate tingling) on stimulation site will be experienced without inducing any modulatory effects. Moreover, after each ctDCS session, an adverse effects questionnaire will be applied.
Fatigue and attention levels will be measured through an analogue scale graded from 0 to 10, where 0 means lower fatigue or attention levels and 10, the higher fatigue or attention levels.
Handwriting test: volunteers will be instructed to write six words with digital pen using the non-dominant hand on a tablet provided with analysis software system (MovAlyzer, EUA). The task will be performed spontaneously, without any instruction bias during writing activity. Each session has different word sequences but the difficulty level will be maintained (six words, two of them with 4, 6 and 8 letters).
SRTT: will be performed through software with visual stimuli presented on a computer screen in four different positions. Volunteer must press, with the non-dominant hand, a corresponding key with a predetermined finger as soon as possible when a highlighted star appears on the screen. The test comprises eight blocks with 120 trials each. Implicit motor learning is measured by performance changes between the blocks 5, 6 and 7.
Performance perception evaluation: in order to correlate stimulation type to the conscious improvement on motor task performance (SRTT and handwriting test) will be asked in the end of each session: "Regarding today's session, comparing your motor performance before and after cerebellar stimulation, you consider that you were better, worse or the same as before?"
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
tDCSDevice
Current will be applied by a DC stimulator (NeuroConn Plus, Germany).The active electrode (anode: 5x7 cm²) will be placed over the left cerebellar hemisphere (3 cm lateral to the inion) and the reference (5x7 cm²), over the left arm with current intensity of 2mA, fade in and fade out of 10 seconds, during 20 minutes.
tDCSDevice
Current will be applied by a DC stimulator (NeuroConn Plus, Germany). The active electrode (cathode: 5x7 cm²) will be placed over the left cerebellar hemisphere (3 cm lateral to the inion) and the reference (5x7 cm²), over the left arm with current intensity of 2mA, fade in and fade out of 10 seconds, during 20 minutes.
tDCSDevice
Sham ctDCS (NeuroConn Plus, Germany) will be applied at the same parameter settings used on cathodal ctDCS however, current duration will be only 30 seconds. Moreover, device automatically turned off without volunteer's perception, but volunteers will be with electrodes montage for 20 minutes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| anodal ctDCS | Experimental | Volunteers will be submitted to anodal ctDCS + motor learning assessments (SRTT and Handwriting test). Receives: Device: tDCS |
| cathodal ctDCS | Experimental | Volunteers will be submitted to cathodal ctDCS + motor learning assessments (SRTT and Handwriting test). Receives: Device: tDCS |
| sham ctDCS | Sham comparator | Volunteers will be submitted to sham ctDCS + motor learning assessments (SRTT and Handwriting test) Receives: Device: tDCS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes on implicit motor learning
Serial reaction time task evaluates implicit motor learning through software with visual stimuli presented on a computer screen in four different positions. Volunteer must press, with the non-dominant hand, a corresponding key with predetermined fingers as soon as possible when a highlighted star appears on the screen. The test comprises eight blocks with 120 trials each.
Measured: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Secondary outcomes (3)
Changes on fatigue levels
It will be measured through an analogue scale graded from 0 to 10, where 0 means lower fatigue levels and 10, the higher fatigue levels.
Measured: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Changes on attention levels
It will be measured through an analogue scale graded from 0 to 10, where 0 means lower attention levels and 10, the higher attention levels.
Measured: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Changes on explicit motor learning
Handwriting test is an explicit motor learning measure. Volunteers will be instructed to write six words with digital pen using the non-dominant hand on a tablet provided with analysis software system (MovAlyzer, EUA). The task will be performed spontaneously, without any instruction bias during writing activity.
Measured: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Sep 2015 (estimated)
- Study startSep 2015
- Primary completionSep 2016
- Study completionSep 2016
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for HealthyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Kátia Monte-Silva, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
- Investigators
- Kátia K Monte-Silva, PhD, Study director, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02557841
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Cerebellar_tDCS_MotorLearning
- Status last verified
- Oct 2018
- First submitted
- 1 Sep 2015
- Last updated
- 12 Oct 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Oct 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effects of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (ctDCS) on Motor Learning of Healthy Individuals
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02557841
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Cerebellar_tDCS_MotorLearning
- Conditions
- Healthy
- Keywords
- Cerebellum, Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, Motor Learning, Serial Reaction Time Task, Handwriting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universidade Federal de PernambucoUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Sep 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Sep 2016 (actual)
- Study completion
- Sep 2016 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Sep 2015 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
A crossover trial with healthy volunteers will be conducted. Three sessions will be performed with at least 48 hours washout period to minimize carry-over effects. In each session, volunteers will be submitted to: fatigue and attention levels evaluation, handwriting test, serial reaction time task (SRTT) before and after ctDCS conditions and after session, a performance perception evaluation.
Detailed description
A crossover, pseudo-randomized, sham-controlled and triple blind will be performed in order to evaluate ctDCS effects on motor learning, since evidence pointed to the crucial role of cerebellum on motor behavior. A non-involved research will conduct a pseudo-randomization (www.randomization.com) to warrant the counterbalanced sessions order and the allocation concealment. Volunteers, researchers and statistical analysis will be blinded to ctDCS condition.
After given prior informed consent, volunteers will be submitted to three experimental sessions: anodal ctDCS, cathodal ctDCS and sham ctDCS. Fatigue and attention levels, handwriting test and SRTT will be performed before and after stimulation. In addition, performance perception evaluation will be assessed at the end of session.
Electrical current will be delivered through a DC stimulator (NeuroConn Plus, Germany) using a pair of saline-soaked sponge electrodes (surface 35cm²). The active electrode (anode or cathode) will be placed over the left cerebellum (3 cm lateral to the inion) and the reference, over the left arm with current intensity of 2mA, fade in and fade out of 10 seconds, during 20 minutes. Sham tDCS has been used in several studies to evaluate active tDCS effects.
Sham ctDCS will be applied using the same electrodes placement and parameter settings of cathodal ctDCS however, stimulation will last only 30 seconds but volunteers will be with electrodes montage for 20 minutes. Because the device will be automatically turned off without volunteer's perception, early sensations (mild to moderate tingling) on stimulation site will be experienced without inducing any modulatory effects. Moreover, after each ctDCS session, an adverse effects questionnaire will be applied.
Fatigue and attention levels will be measured through an analogue scale graded from 0 to 10, where 0 means lower fatigue or attention levels and 10, the higher fatigue or attention levels.
Handwriting test: volunteers will be instructed to write six words with digital pen using the non-dominant hand on a tablet provided with analysis software system (MovAlyzer, EUA). The task will be performed spontaneously, without any instruction bias during writing activity. Each session has different word sequences but the difficulty level will be maintained (six words, two of them with 4, 6 and 8 letters).
SRTT: will be performed through software with visual stimuli presented on a computer screen in four different positions. Volunteer must press, with the non-dominant hand, a corresponding key with a predetermined finger as soon as possible when a highlighted star appears on the screen. The test comprises eight blocks with 120 trials each. Implicit motor learning is measured by performance changes between the blocks 5, 6 and 7.
Performance perception evaluation: in order to correlate stimulation type to the conscious improvement on motor task performance (SRTT and handwriting test) will be asked in the end of each session: "Regarding today's session, comparing your motor performance before and after cerebellar stimulation, you consider that you were better, worse or the same as before?"
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| anodal ctDCS | Experimental | Device: tDCSVolunteers will be submitted to anodal ctDCS + motor learning assessments (SRTT and Handwriting test). |
| cathodal ctDCS | Experimental | Device: tDCSVolunteers will be submitted to cathodal ctDCS + motor learning assessments (SRTT and Handwriting test). |
| sham ctDCS | Sham comparator | Device: tDCSVolunteers will be submitted to sham ctDCS + motor learning assessments (SRTT and Handwriting test) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Right-handed (assessed by Edinburgh Handedness Inventory)
- Healthy volunteers (self report)
- Absence of neurological and psychiatric diseases
- No history of severe musculoskeletal injury on wrists and fingers
- Without using drugs or neuroactive substances regularly
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Pregnancy
- Presence of metallic implant in close contact to the target stimulation area
- Acute eczema under the target stimulation area
- Pacemaker
- History of seizures or epilepsy
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| tDCSCurrent will be applied by a DC stimulator (NeuroConn Plus, Germany).The active electrode (anode: 5x7 cm²) will be placed over the left cerebellar hemisphere (3 cm lateral to the inion) and the reference (5x7 cm²), over the left arm with current intensity of 2mA, fade in and fade out of 10 seconds, during 20 minutes. | Device | anodal ctDCS |
| tDCSCurrent will be applied by a DC stimulator (NeuroConn Plus, Germany). The active electrode (cathode: 5x7 cm²) will be placed over the left cerebellar hemisphere (3 cm lateral to the inion) and the reference (5x7 cm²), over the left arm with current intensity of 2mA, fade in and fade out of 10 seconds, during 20 minutes. | Device | cathodal ctDCS |
| tDCSSham ctDCS (NeuroConn Plus, Germany) will be applied at the same parameter settings used on cathodal ctDCS however, current duration will be only 30 seconds. Moreover, device automatically turned off without volunteer's perception, but volunteers will be with electrodes montage for 20 minutes. | Device | sham ctDCS |
Primary outcome
Changes on implicit motor learning
Time frame: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Serial reaction time task evaluates implicit motor learning through software with visual stimuli presented on a computer screen in four different positions. Volunteer must press, with the non-dominant hand, a corresponding key with predetermined fingers as soon as possible when a highlighted star appears on the screen. The test comprises eight blocks with 120 trials each.
3 secondary outcomes
Changes on fatigue levels
Time frame: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Changes on attention levels
Time frame: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Changes on explicit motor learning
Time frame: One week (before and after ctDCS)
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Oct 2018.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kátia K Monte-Silva, PhD study director
Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing tDCS in people with Healthy, run by Universidade Federal de Pernambuco at 1 site in Brazil.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Oct 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Brazil. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes on implicit motor learning (time frame: One week (before and after ctDCS)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Oct 2018.