Healthy Older AdultsNCT06284720
Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation for the Improvement of Episodic Memory in Healthy Older Adults
A study testing Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus in people with Healthy Older Adults, run by Universidade Católica Portuguesa at 1 site in Portugal.
Trial summary
Memory complaints are a common symptom among Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. Indeed, episodic memory and Alzheimer disease are highly sensitive to aging. Many brain areas become active when we remember an event from the past. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 65 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Healthy Older Adults
- What is being tested?
- Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 16 participants
- Where
- 1 sitePortugal
- Study dates
- 1 Mar 2024to 31 Oct 2024
- 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 65 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Older adults aged 65 or over;
- Normal general cognition: score within the normative values for the Portuguese population in the Addenbrooke\'s Cognitive Examination
Who cannot join
- Neurological disorders (stroke, tumours, significant head trauma, and epilepsy), psychiatric conditions (such as autism, schizophrenia, depression), or uncontrolled medical illness (hypertension, metabolic, endocrine, toxic, and infectious diseases) able to interfere with cognition;
- Sensory deficits likely to interfere with neuropsychological assessment;
- Impairment in activities of daily living;
- Chronic alcohol or drug abuse;
- Non-native Portuguese speakers;
- Metal implants on the head or implanted electronic devices.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Portugal1 site
Filipa Ribeiro
Lisbon
Filipa Ribeiro, PhD, +351 217214147, filipa.nc.ribeiro@ucp.pt
Joana Macedo, MSc
About this study
Memory complaints are a common symptom among Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. Indeed, episodic memory and Alzheimer disease are highly sensitive to aging. Many brain areas become active when we remember an event from the past. The precuneus, part of the posterior system of default mode network, has been identified as a central node of episodic memory retrieval and a central node in various psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer disease. Age-related changes have been consistently found in the default mode network connectivity, occurring within its posterior areas and with the reduction of connectivity between anterior and posterior subnetwork. It has also been found that aging is associated with decreased functional connectivity in the precuneus and posterior cingulate of the default mode network. Furthermore, γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays an essential role in regulating brain activity and modulating the default mode network, shows a decrease throughout the normal course of aging, in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. It was also verified a link between cognitive decline and the dysfunction of the inhibitory activity of GABAergic interneurons, particularly parvalbumin-positive interneurons, that play a role in control local circuitry, brain networks and memory processing. Parvalbumin interneurons are the fast-spiking interneurons that generate and maintain gamma frequency. Gamma band has been associated with the encoding and retrieval of episodic memory. Impairments of gamma oscillations have been observed in healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease.
By identifying these functional connectivity changes, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques may offer a new strategy for improving cognitive functions. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that modulates cortical activity by applying weak, oscillating electrical currents to the cortex via two or more scalp electrodes. By using alternating currents, it is possible to simulate the rhythmic pattern of electrophysiological activity of the brain. tACS can interact with neural firing at behaviorally relevant frequencies linked to memory.
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study, the investigators will evaluate whether stimulation with gamma tACS on the precuneus can improve episodic memory in healthy older adults.
Read the detailed description
Memory complaints are a common symptom among Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. Indeed, episodic memory and Alzheimer disease are highly sensitive to aging. Many brain areas become active when we remember an event from the past. The precuneus, part of the posterior system of default mode network, has been identified as a central node of episodic memory retrieval and a central node in various psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer disease. Age-related changes have been consistently found in the default mode network connectivity, occurring within its posterior areas and with the reduction of connectivity between anterior and posterior subnetwork. It has also been found that aging is associated with decreased functional connectivity in the precuneus and posterior cingulate of the default mode network. Furthermore, γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays an essential role in regulating brain activity and modulating the default mode network, shows a decrease throughout the normal course of aging, in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. It was also verified a link between cognitive decline and the dysfunction of the inhibitory activity of GABAergic interneurons, particularly parvalbumin-positive interneurons, that play a role in control local circuitry, brain networks and memory processing. Parvalbumin interneurons are the fast-spiking interneurons that generate and maintain gamma frequency. Gamma band has been associated with the encoding and retrieval of episodic memory. Impairments of gamma oscillations have been observed in healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease.
By identifying these functional connectivity changes, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques may offer a new strategy for improving cognitive functions. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that modulates cortical activity by applying weak, oscillating electrical currents to the cortex via two or more scalp electrodes. By using alternating currents, it is possible to simulate the rhythmic pattern of electrophysiological activity of the brain. tACS can interact with neural firing at behaviorally relevant frequencies linked to memory.
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study, the investigators will evaluate whether stimulation with gamma tACS on the precuneus can improve episodic memory in healthy older adults.
Participants will be randomized into two groups in a 1:1 ratio, and the order of administration of either intervention (i.e., gamma-tACS or sham) will be counterbalanced across all participants. Stimulation will be inverted (crossover phase) after 1 week (wash-out). Participants will be evaluated with neuropsychological tests (AVLT and FNMT) and neurophysiological measures of functional connectivity (rs EEG).
- Conditions
- Healthy Older Adults
- Being tested
- Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus, Sham tACS over the precuneus
- Keywords
- healthy aging, episodic memory, gamma oscillations, transcranial alternating current stimulation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneusDevice
5 sessions of gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus
Sham tACS over the precuneusDevice
5 sessions of sham tACS over the precuneus
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: real tACS | Experimental | 5 sessions of gamma tACS (40 Hz) at 2 mA over the Precuneus Receives: Device: Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus |
| Placebo Comparator: sham tACS | Sham comparator | 5 sessions of sham over the Precuneus Receives: Device: Sham tACS over the precuneus |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in immediate and delayed free recall Auditory Verbal Learning Test scores
Auditory Verbal Learning Test is a list-learning paradigm, and consists of five consecutive immediate free recall trials, a delayed free recall trial (after 30 minutes of the fifth immediate free recall trial), and a delayed recognition trial. Different lists will be used during pre- and post-stimulation to avoid learning effects.
Measured: Baseline (immediately before the stimulation protocol/on the first session/day 1) and post stimulation (after 5 sessions of 5 consecutive days of gamma tACS/sham/day 5). After one week, measures will be repeated in the crossover phase day 12 and 17.
Changes in immediate free recall and delayed recognition Face-Name Memory Test scores
Face-Name Memory Test requires learning 20 unfamiliar face-name pairs and include a training, initial learning phase (learning 1 and 2), immediate recall and after 30 minutes a delayed recall, facial recognition, and a multiple-choice recognition trial. During learning phase (1 and 2) participants will underwent two exposures to all 20 face and name. It is shown a face on a grey background with a fictional first name printed in black underneath the face, forming a face-name pair; the participants must say whether the photograph they see is of a man or a woman, read the name below out loud and try to learn each face-name pair. Following each exposure, they were asked for name associated with each face. After a 30-minute delay they were asked to identify the previously learned face from three pictures, asked for name associated with each face, and asked to select the name associated with the face among four proper names
Measured: During the first session/day 1 of intervention of gamma tACS/sham and during the first session on the crossover-phase/day12
Secondary outcomes (1)
Change in functional connectivity
By using resting state electroencephalogram the investigators will evaluate the effects of gamma tACS in functional connectivity between precuneus and hippocampus
Measured: Baseline (immediately before the stimulation protocol/on the first session/day 1) and post stimulation (after 5 sessions of 5 consecutive days of gamma tACS/sham/day 5). After one week, measures will be repeated in the crossover phase day 12 and 17.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Feb 2024
- Study start1 Mar 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion31 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Oct 2024 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (29)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Healthy Older AdultsStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Quadruple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universidade Católica Portuguesa
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Clínica NeuroVida (Portugal)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06284720
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Project number 144
- Status last verified
- Mar 2024
- First submitted
- 27 Jan 2024
- Last updated
- 12 Mar 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: All data, including outcome measure results, study protocol and statistical analysis plan, will be shared upon reasonable request
Publications
Bai X, Edden RA, Gao F, Wang G, Wu L, Zhao B, Wang M, Chan Q, Chen W, Barker PB. Decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the parietal region of patients with Alzheimer's disease. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2015 May;41(5):1326-31. doi: 10.1002/jmri.24665. Epub 2014 May 27.
PubMed 24863149Billette OV, Ziegler G, Aruci M, Schutze H, Kizilirmak JM, Richter A, Altenstein S, Bartels C, Brosseron F, Cardenas-Blanco A, Dahmen P, Dechent P, Dobisch L, Fliessbach K, Freiesleben SD, Glanz W, Goerss D, Haynes JD, Heneka MT, Kilimann I, Kimmich O, Kleineidam L, Laske C, Lohse A, Rostamzadeh A, Metzger C, Munk MH, Peters O, Preis L, Priller J, Scheffler K, Schneider A, Spottke A, Spruth EJ, Ramirez A, Roske S, Roy N, Teipel S, Wagner M, Wiltfang J, Wolfsgruber S, Yakupov R, Zeidman P, Jessen F, Schott BH, Duzel E, Maass A; DELCODE Study Group. Novelty-Related fMRI Responses of Precuneus and Medial Temporal Regions in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer Disease. Neurology. 2022 Aug 23;99(8):e775-e788. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200667. Epub 2022 Jun 3.
PubMed 35995589Buzsaki G, Wang XJ. Mechanisms of gamma oscillations. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2012;35:203-25. doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150444. Epub 2012 Mar 20.
PubMed 22443509Celone KA, Calhoun VD, Dickerson BC, Atri A, Chua EF, Miller SL, DePeau K, Rentz DM, Selkoe DJ, Blacker D, Albert MS, Sperling RA. Alterations in memory networks in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an independent component analysis. J Neurosci. 2006 Oct 4;26(40):10222-31. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2250-06.2006.
PubMed 17021177Damoiseaux JS, Beckmann CF, Arigita EJ, Barkhof F, Scheltens P, Stam CJ, Smith SM, Rombouts SA. Reduced resting-state brain activity in the "default network" in normal aging. Cereb Cortex. 2008 Aug;18(8):1856-64. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhm207. Epub 2007 Dec 5.
PubMed 18063564De Marco M, Ourselin S, Venneri A. Age and hippocampal volume predict distinct parts of default mode network activity. Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 5;9(1):16075. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-52488-9.
PubMed 31690806Fell J, Klaver P, Lehnertz K, Grunwald T, Schaller C, Elger CE, Fernandez G. Human memory formation is accompanied by rhinal-hippocampal coupling and decoupling. Nat Neurosci. 2001 Dec;4(12):1259-64. doi: 10.1038/nn759.
PubMed 11694886Flanagin VL, Klinkowski S, Brodt S, Graetsch M, Roselli C, Glasauer S, Gais S. The precuneus as a central node in declarative memory retrieval. Cereb Cortex. 2023 May 9;33(10):5981-5990. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhac476.
PubMed 36610736Gaetz W, Roberts TP, Singh KD, Muthukumaraswamy SD. Functional and structural correlates of the aging brain: relating visual cortex (V1) gamma band responses to age-related structural change. Hum Brain Mapp. 2012 Sep;33(9):2035-46. doi: 10.1002/hbm.21339. Epub 2011 Jul 18.
PubMed 21769992Gillespie AK, Jones EA, Lin YH, Karlsson MP, Kay K, Yoon SY, Tong LM, Nova P, Carr JS, Frank LM, Huang Y. Apolipoprotein E4 Causes Age-Dependent Disruption of Slow Gamma Oscillations during Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples. Neuron. 2016 May 18;90(4):740-51. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.009. Epub 2016 May 5.
PubMed 27161522Griffiths BJ, Parish G, Roux F, Michelmann S, van der Plas M, Kolibius LD, Chelvarajah R, Rollings DT, Sawlani V, Hamer H, Gollwitzer S, Kreiselmeyer G, Staresina B, Wimber M, Hanslmayr S. Directional coupling of slow and fast hippocampal gamma with neocortical alpha/beta oscillations in human episodic memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Oct 22;116(43):21834-21842. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1914180116. Epub 2019 Oct 9.
PubMed 31597741Hebscher M, Meltzer JA, Gilboa A. A causal role for the precuneus in network-wide theta and gamma oscillatory activity during complex memory retrieval. Elife. 2019 Feb 11;8:e43114. doi: 10.7554/eLife.43114.
PubMed 30741161Heusser AC, Poeppel D, Ezzyat Y, Davachi L. Episodic sequence memory is supported by a theta-gamma phase code. Nat Neurosci. 2016 Oct;19(10):1374-80. doi: 10.1038/nn.4374. Epub 2016 Aug 29.
PubMed 27571010Hijazi S, Smit AB, van Kesteren RE. Fast-spiking parvalbumin-positive interneurons in brain physiology and Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Dec;28(12):4954-4967. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02168-y. Epub 2023 Jul 7.
PubMed 37419975Hu H, Gan J, Jonas P. Interneurons. Fast-spiking, parvalbumin(+) GABAergic interneurons: from cellular design to microcircuit function. Science. 2014 Aug 1;345(6196):1255263. doi: 10.1126/science.1255263. Epub 2014 Jul 31.
PubMed 25082707
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 12 Mar 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation for the Improvement of Episodic Memory in Healthy Older Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06284720
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Project number 144
- Conditions
- Healthy Older Adults
- Keywords
- healthy aging, episodic memory, gamma oscillations, transcranial alternating current stimulation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Universidade Católica PortuguesaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Clínica NeuroVida (Portugal)
- Study start
- 1 Mar 2024 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 31 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Oct 2024 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Feb 2024 (actual)
- 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.
Memory complaints are a common symptom among Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. Indeed, episodic memory and Alzheimer disease are highly sensitive to aging. Many brain areas become active when we remember an event from the past. The precuneus, part of the posterior system of default mode network, has been identified as a central node of episodic memory retrieval and a central node in various psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer disease. Age-related changes have been consistently found in the default mode network connectivity, occurring within its posterior areas and with the reduction of connectivity between anterior and posterior subnetwork. It has also been found that aging is associated with decreased functional connectivity in the precuneus and posterior cingulate of the default mode network. Furthermore, γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays an essential role in regulating brain activity and modulating the default mode network, shows a decrease throughout the normal course of aging, in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. It was also verified a link between cognitive decline and the dysfunction of the inhibitory activity of GABAergic interneurons, particularly parvalbumin-positive interneurons, that play a role in control local circuitry, brain networks and memory processing. Parvalbumin interneurons are the fast-spiking interneurons that generate and maintain gamma frequency. Gamma band has been associated with the encoding and retrieval of episodic memory. Impairments of gamma oscillations have been observed in healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease.
By identifying these functional connectivity changes, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques may offer a new strategy for improving cognitive functions. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that modulates cortical activity by applying weak, oscillating electrical currents to the cortex via two or more scalp electrodes. By using alternating currents, it is possible to simulate the rhythmic pattern of electrophysiological activity of the brain. tACS can interact with neural firing at behaviorally relevant frequencies linked to memory.
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study, the investigators will evaluate whether stimulation with gamma tACS on the precuneus can improve episodic memory in healthy older adults.
Detailed description
Memory complaints are a common symptom among Subjective Cognitive Decline, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. Indeed, episodic memory and Alzheimer disease are highly sensitive to aging. Many brain areas become active when we remember an event from the past. The precuneus, part of the posterior system of default mode network, has been identified as a central node of episodic memory retrieval and a central node in various psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer disease. Age-related changes have been consistently found in the default mode network connectivity, occurring within its posterior areas and with the reduction of connectivity between anterior and posterior subnetwork. It has also been found that aging is associated with decreased functional connectivity in the precuneus and posterior cingulate of the default mode network. Furthermore, γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), which plays an essential role in regulating brain activity and modulating the default mode network, shows a decrease throughout the normal course of aging, in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease. It was also verified a link between cognitive decline and the dysfunction of the inhibitory activity of GABAergic interneurons, particularly parvalbumin-positive interneurons, that play a role in control local circuitry, brain networks and memory processing. Parvalbumin interneurons are the fast-spiking interneurons that generate and maintain gamma frequency. Gamma band has been associated with the encoding and retrieval of episodic memory. Impairments of gamma oscillations have been observed in healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer disease.
By identifying these functional connectivity changes, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques may offer a new strategy for improving cognitive functions. Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that modulates cortical activity by applying weak, oscillating electrical currents to the cortex via two or more scalp electrodes. By using alternating currents, it is possible to simulate the rhythmic pattern of electrophysiological activity of the brain. tACS can interact with neural firing at behaviorally relevant frequencies linked to memory.
In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study, the investigators will evaluate whether stimulation with gamma tACS on the precuneus can improve episodic memory in healthy older adults.
Participants will be randomized into two groups in a 1:1 ratio, and the order of administration of either intervention (i.e., gamma-tACS or sham) will be counterbalanced across all participants. Stimulation will be inverted (crossover phase) after 1 week (wash-out). Participants will be evaluated with neuropsychological tests (AVLT and FNMT) and neurophysiological measures of functional connectivity (rs EEG).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Quadruple blind (participant, care provider, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental: real tACS | Experimental | Device: Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus5 sessions of gamma tACS (40 Hz) at 2 mA over the Precuneus |
| Placebo Comparator: sham tACS | Sham comparator | Device: Sham tACS over the precuneus5 sessions of sham over the Precuneus |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 65 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Older adults aged 65 or over;
- Normal general cognition: score within the normative values for the Portuguese population in the Addenbrooke\'s Cognitive Examination
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Neurological disorders (stroke, tumours, significant head trauma, and epilepsy), psychiatric conditions (such as autism, schizophrenia, depression), or uncontrolled medical illness (hypertension, metabolic, endocrine, toxic, and infectious diseases) able to interfere with cognition;
- Sensory deficits likely to interfere with neuropsychological assessment;
- Impairment in activities of daily living;
- Chronic alcohol or drug abuse;
- Non-native Portuguese speakers;
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus5 sessions of gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus | Device | Experimental: real tACS |
| Sham tACS over the precuneus5 sessions of sham tACS over the precuneus | Device | Placebo Comparator: sham tACS |
Primary outcome
Changes in immediate and delayed free recall Auditory Verbal Learning Test scores
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the stimulation protocol/on the first session/day 1) and post stimulation (after 5 sessions of 5 consecutive days of gamma tACS/sham/day 5). After one week, measures will be repeated in the crossover phase day 12 and 17.
Auditory Verbal Learning Test is a list-learning paradigm, and consists of five consecutive immediate free recall trials, a delayed free recall trial (after 30 minutes of the fifth immediate free recall trial), and a delayed recognition trial. Different lists will be used during pre- and post-stimulation to avoid learning effects.
Changes in immediate free recall and delayed recognition Face-Name Memory Test scores
Time frame: During the first session/day 1 of intervention of gamma tACS/sham and during the first session on the crossover-phase/day12
Face-Name Memory Test requires learning 20 unfamiliar face-name pairs and include a training, initial learning phase (learning 1 and 2), immediate recall and after 30 minutes a delayed recall, facial recognition, and a multiple-choice recognition trial. During learning phase (1 and 2) participants will underwent two exposures to all 20 face and name. It is shown a face on a grey background with a fictional first name printed in black underneath the face, forming a face-name pair; the participants must say whether the photograph they see is of a man or a woman, read the name below out loud and try to learn each face-name pair. Following each exposure, they were asked for name associated with each face. After a 30-minute delay they were asked to identify the previously learned face from three pictures, asked for name associated with each face, and asked to select the name associated with the face among four proper names
1 secondary outcome
Change in functional connectivity
Time frame: Baseline (immediately before the stimulation protocol/on the first session/day 1) and post stimulation (after 5 sessions of 5 consecutive days of gamma tACS/sham/day 5). After one week, measures will be repeated in the crossover phase day 12 and 17.
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 12 Mar 2024.
- Background: PubMed 24863149Bai X, Edden RA, Gao F, Wang G, Wu L, Zhao B, Wang M, Chan Q, Chen W, Barker PB. Decreased gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the parietal region of patients with Alzheimer's disease. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2015 May;41(5):1326-31. doi: 10.1002/jmri.24665. Epub 2014 May 27.
- Background: PubMed 35995589Billette OV, Ziegler G, Aruci M, Schutze H, Kizilirmak JM, Richter A, Altenstein S, Bartels C, Brosseron F, Cardenas-Blanco A, Dahmen P, Dechent P, Dobisch L, Fliessbach K, Freiesleben SD, Glanz W, Goerss D, Haynes JD, Heneka MT, Kilimann I, Kimmich O, Kleineidam L, Laske C, Lohse A, Rostamzadeh A, Metzger C, Munk MH, Peters O, Preis L, Priller J, Scheffler K, Schneider A, Spottke A, Spruth EJ, Ramirez A, Roske S, Roy N, Teipel S, Wagner M, Wiltfang J, Wolfsgruber S, Yakupov R, Zeidman P, Jessen F, Schott BH, Duzel E, Maass A; DELCODE Study Group. Novelty-Related fMRI Responses of Precuneus and Medial Temporal Regions in Individuals at Risk for Alzheimer Disease. Neurology. 2022 Aug 23;99(8):e775-e788. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000200667. Epub 2022 Jun 3.
- Background: PubMed 22443509Buzsaki G, Wang XJ. Mechanisms of gamma oscillations. Annu Rev Neurosci. 2012;35:203-25. doi: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150444. Epub 2012 Mar 20.
- Background: PubMed 17021177Celone KA, Calhoun VD, Dickerson BC, Atri A, Chua EF, Miller SL, DePeau K, Rentz DM, Selkoe DJ, Blacker D, Albert MS, Sperling RA. Alterations in memory networks in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: an independent component analysis. J Neurosci. 2006 Oct 4;26(40):10222-31. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2250-06.2006.
- Background: PubMed 18063564Damoiseaux JS, Beckmann CF, Arigita EJ, Barkhof F, Scheltens P, Stam CJ, Smith SM, Rombouts SA. Reduced resting-state brain activity in the "default network" in normal aging. Cereb Cortex. 2008 Aug;18(8):1856-64. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhm207. Epub 2007 Dec 5.
- Background: PubMed 31690806De Marco M, Ourselin S, Venneri A. Age and hippocampal volume predict distinct parts of default mode network activity. Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 5;9(1):16075. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-52488-9.
- Background: PubMed 11694886Fell J, Klaver P, Lehnertz K, Grunwald T, Schaller C, Elger CE, Fernandez G. Human memory formation is accompanied by rhinal-hippocampal coupling and decoupling. Nat Neurosci. 2001 Dec;4(12):1259-64. doi: 10.1038/nn759.
- Background: PubMed 36610736Flanagin VL, Klinkowski S, Brodt S, Graetsch M, Roselli C, Glasauer S, Gais S. The precuneus as a central node in declarative memory retrieval. Cereb Cortex. 2023 May 9;33(10):5981-5990. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhac476.
- Background: PubMed 21769992Gaetz W, Roberts TP, Singh KD, Muthukumaraswamy SD. Functional and structural correlates of the aging brain: relating visual cortex (V1) gamma band responses to age-related structural change. Hum Brain Mapp. 2012 Sep;33(9):2035-46. doi: 10.1002/hbm.21339. Epub 2011 Jul 18.
- Background: PubMed 27161522Gillespie AK, Jones EA, Lin YH, Karlsson MP, Kay K, Yoon SY, Tong LM, Nova P, Carr JS, Frank LM, Huang Y. Apolipoprotein E4 Causes Age-Dependent Disruption of Slow Gamma Oscillations during Hippocampal Sharp-Wave Ripples. Neuron. 2016 May 18;90(4):740-51. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.04.009. Epub 2016 May 5.
- Background: PubMed 31597741Griffiths BJ, Parish G, Roux F, Michelmann S, van der Plas M, Kolibius LD, Chelvarajah R, Rollings DT, Sawlani V, Hamer H, Gollwitzer S, Kreiselmeyer G, Staresina B, Wimber M, Hanslmayr S. Directional coupling of slow and fast hippocampal gamma with neocortical alpha/beta oscillations in human episodic memory. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Oct 22;116(43):21834-21842. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1914180116. Epub 2019 Oct 9.
- Background: PubMed 30741161Hebscher M, Meltzer JA, Gilboa A. A causal role for the precuneus in network-wide theta and gamma oscillatory activity during complex memory retrieval. Elife. 2019 Feb 11;8:e43114. doi: 10.7554/eLife.43114.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. All data, including outcome measure results, study protocol and statistical analysis plan, will be shared upon reasonable request
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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.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Gamma tACS (40 Hz) over the precuneus in people with Healthy Older Adults, run by Universidade Católica Portuguesa at 1 site in Portugal.
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 2 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: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Mar 2024. 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 Portugal. 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?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes in immediate and delayed free recall Auditory Verbal Learning Test scores (time frame: Baseline (immediately before the stimulation protocol/on the first session/day 1) and post stimulation (after 5 sessions of 5 consecutive days of gamma tACS/sham/day 5). After one week, measures will be repeated in the crossover phase day 12 and 17.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06284720, which also lists 29 linked publications.
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 Mar 2024.