Progressive Supranuclear PalsyPSPNCT07291687
tDCS as Treatment for Motor Function
A study testing Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) and Stimulation Arm in people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Cortical Basal Ganglionic Degeneration, run by Baycrest at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
Previous preliminary results are sufficiently impressive to suggest that tDCS stimulation does have the potential to improve motor function when that ability is trained during stimulation. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any age
- Conditions the study is for
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Cortical Basal Ganglionic Degeneration, Parkinson Disease
- What is being tested?
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) and Stimulation Arm
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 20 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 30 Oct 2025to Dec 2030
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 Any age
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 1. Participants must be able to walk unassisted, or with the assistance of a walker or cane, and be individuals who walk daily.
- 2. Participants should have a sufficient level of English to be able to express themselves verbally, be able to read and follow instructions.
Who cannot join
- 3. Individuals with metal implants within the brain such as shunts will be excluded.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Canada1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Baycrest Academy of Health Sciences and Geriatric Research
Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1
About this study
Official title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as a Treatment for Motor Function in Participants Living With Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Corticalbasal Syndrome Degeneration, or Parkinson's Disease
Previous preliminary results are sufficiently impressive to suggest that tDCS stimulation does have the potential to improve motor function when that ability is trained during stimulation. In the proposed study, the investigation will assess whether walking sessions combined with tDCS lead to improvements in motor function: gait, articulation, eye gaze, and motor dexterity. In addition, the investigators wish to examine if such results can be replicated in people with other conditions, such as cortical basal syndrome, and Parkinson's disease.
Read the detailed description
Previous preliminary results are sufficiently impressive to suggest that tDCS stimulation does have the potential to improve motor function when that ability is trained during stimulation. In the proposed study, the investigators will assess whether walking sessions combined with tDCS lead to improvements in motor function: gait, articulation, eye gaze, and motor dexterity. In addition, the investigators wish to examine if such results can be replicated in people with other conditions, such as cortical basal syndrome, and Parkinson's disease. The rationale for including people living with these conditions is the overlap in motor and cortical network dysfunction observed across these disorders. All three conditions involve impairment of motor initiation, gait, coordination, and executive motor control due to degeneration in frontal-subcortical pathways. This extension will also allow for comparison of stimulation responsiveness across related diagnostic groups and provide insight into disease-specific factors influencing motor recovery potential.
Previous tDCS studies have found significant results with sample sizes between 10-20 participants for a two-round study comparing training sessions with real tDCS versus sessions done without tDCS. However, the investigators plan to recruit 30 participants living with each condition as this will allow us to examine results per group, but also how the individual groups compare.
- Being tested
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS), Stimulation Arm
- Keywords
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP),, Cortical basal syndrome (CBD)
- Medical subject headings
- Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive, Corticobasal Degeneration, Parkinson Disease
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS)Device
The Crossover design will enable us to use each participant as their own control.
Stimulation ArmDevice
Participants will be exposed to the brain stimulation protocol while undergoing certain motor task during the training sessions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Real tDCS Stimulation: | Experimental | Participants will be exposed to 20 min of tDCS brain stimulation while undergoing training on cognitive tasks. Receives: Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) |
| Sham Arm | Placebo comparator | Participants will be exposed to 20 min of tDCS sham/placebo stimulation while undergoing training on cognitive tasks. Participants will have the exact same apparatus used but with no stimulation. Receives: Device: Stimulation Arm |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Gait speed
Within each round, scores from the final week and final session of real tDCS stimulation will be compared to performance during the first week and final sham tDCS session to check for significant improvement. Our primary outcome measures will be those found for gait; for example, a faster walking time subsequent to tDCS stimulation compared to the placebo baseline. Participants will also return two weeks later for a post-stimulation evaluation to check if improvement was maintained. To check if the arrangement of electrodes impacts the effect, times from the final tDCS session of each round will be compared.
Measured: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Articulation Quality (Clinician-Rated Speech Production on Word and Sentence Repetition)
Articulation will be assessed using a clinician-administered repetition task involving single words and short sentences. Speech production quality will be rated by the clinician using a standardized 5-point articulation quality scale (1 = severely distorted, 5 = normal/near-normal production). The reported value will be the rating score.
Measured: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.
Eye-Gaze Control (Clinician-Rated Ability to Track a Moving Target)
Eye-gaze performance will be evaluated using a bedside oculomotor task. Participants are asked to follow a moving pencil with their eyes while keeping their head still. A clinician will rate eye-gaze control on a standardized 3-point scale (0 = unable, 1 = inconsistent, 2 = consistent and accurate). The reported value will be the rating score.
Measured: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Dec 2025
- Study start30 Oct 2025
- Primary completionDec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Progressive Supranuclear PalsyStudies 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
- Model description
- The study is a Longitudinal A-B-A study with alternating between real (A) and sham sessions (B).
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Care provider, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Baycrest
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Tyler Roncero, Baycrest
- Investigators
- Tyler Roncero, Ph.D, Principal investigator, Baycrest Academy of Health Sciences and Geriatric ResearchHoward Chertkow, MD, Principal investigator, Baycrest Academy of Health Sciences and Geriatric Research
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07291687
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 21-17
- Acronym
- PSP
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 17 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 18 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared. Only aggregated, de-identified summary results will be made available through publications, presentations, or upon request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as a Treatment for Motor Function in Participants Living With Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Corticalbasal Syndrome Degeneration, or Parkinson's Disease
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07291687
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PSP / 21-17
- Keywords
- Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP),, Cortical basal syndrome (CBD)
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 20 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- BaycrestUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 18 Dec 2025 (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.
Previous preliminary results are sufficiently impressive to suggest that tDCS stimulation does have the potential to improve motor function when that ability is trained during stimulation. In the proposed study, the investigation will assess whether walking sessions combined with tDCS lead to improvements in motor function: gait, articulation, eye gaze, and motor dexterity. In addition, the investigators wish to examine if such results can be replicated in people with other conditions, such as cortical basal syndrome, and Parkinson's disease.
Detailed description
Previous preliminary results are sufficiently impressive to suggest that tDCS stimulation does have the potential to improve motor function when that ability is trained during stimulation. In the proposed study, the investigators will assess whether walking sessions combined with tDCS lead to improvements in motor function: gait, articulation, eye gaze, and motor dexterity. In addition, the investigators wish to examine if such results can be replicated in people with other conditions, such as cortical basal syndrome, and Parkinson's disease. The rationale for including people living with these conditions is the overlap in motor and cortical network dysfunction observed across these disorders. All three conditions involve impairment of motor initiation, gait, coordination, and executive motor control due to degeneration in frontal-subcortical pathways. This extension will also allow for comparison of stimulation responsiveness across related diagnostic groups and provide insight into disease-specific factors influencing motor recovery potential.
Previous tDCS studies have found significant results with sample sizes between 10-20 participants for a two-round study comparing training sessions with real tDCS versus sessions done without tDCS. However, the investigators plan to recruit 30 participants living with each condition as this will allow us to examine results per group, but also how the individual groups compare.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, care provider, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The study is a Longitudinal A-B-A study with alternating between real (A) and sham sessions (B).
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Real tDCS Stimulation: | Experimental | Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS)Participants will be exposed to 20 min of tDCS brain stimulation while undergoing training on cognitive tasks. |
| Sham Arm | Placebo comparator | Device: Stimulation ArmParticipants will be exposed to 20 min of tDCS sham/placebo stimulation while undergoing training on cognitive tasks. Participants will have the exact same apparatus used but with no stimulation. |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 1. Participants must be able to walk unassisted, or with the assistance of a walker or cane, and be individuals who walk daily.
- 2. Participants should have a sufficient level of English to be able to express themselves verbally, be able to read and follow instructions.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 3. Individuals with metal implants within the brain such as shunts will be excluded.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS)The Crossover design will enable us to use each participant as their own control. | Device | Real tDCS Stimulation: |
| Stimulation ArmParticipants will be exposed to the brain stimulation protocol while undergoing certain motor task during the training sessions. | Device | Sham Arm |
Primary outcome
Gait speed
Time frame: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.
Within each round, scores from the final week and final session of real tDCS stimulation will be compared to performance during the first week and final sham tDCS session to check for significant improvement. Our primary outcome measures will be those found for gait; for example, a faster walking time subsequent to tDCS stimulation compared to the placebo baseline. Participants will also return two weeks later for a post-stimulation evaluation to check if improvement was maintained. To check if the arrangement of electrodes impacts the effect, times from the final tDCS session of each round will be compared.
2 secondary outcomes
Articulation Quality (Clinician-Rated Speech Production on Word and Sentence Repetition)
Time frame: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.
Eye-Gaze Control (Clinician-Rated Ability to Track a Moving Target)
Time frame: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Dec 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared. Only aggregated, de-identified summary results will be made available through publications, presentations, or upon 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.
Tyler Roncero, Ph.D principal investigator
Baycrest Academy of Health Sciences and Geriatric Research
Howard Chertkow, MD principal investigator
Baycrest Academy of Health Sciences and Geriatric Research
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) and Stimulation Arm in people with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Cortical Basal Ganglionic Degeneration, run by Baycrest at 1 site in Canada.
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 1 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Dec 2025. 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 Canada. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Alice Zhang, B.Sc ((416) 785-2500 ext. 2522, azhang4@research.baycrest.org), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Gait speed (time frame: Measures collected at three points each round: baseline in week 1, post-treatment at the final stimulation session, and follow-up two weeks after the final session.). 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 18 Dec 2025.