Using High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Treat Verbal Retrieval Deficits Secondary to Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (STIM-CTBI)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Summary
The purpose of this study is to learn more about how brain stimulation affects word finding problems in people who have a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The type of brain stimulation used is called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS delivers low levels of electric current to the brain and high definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) delivers the current with multiple electrodes on the scalp. This current is delivered with HD-tDCS to parts of the brain that may help with remembering things. The investigators hope that this can help to improve word finding and memory problems in people with TBI.
Description
The investigators plan to recruit English-speaking participants aged 18-85 years with a history of chronic TBI (\> 1 year since injury prior to enrollment), all of whom have problems with cognition. The participants will be randomized to receive (1) active first followed by sham HD-tDCS condition, or (2) sham first followed by active condition in order to assess the efficacy of HD-tDCS on improving verbal retrieval function. The randomization will be double-blinded to the participants and the research personnel who administer the procedures. The study therefore adopts a double-blind randomized…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–85 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 and 85 * Fluent in speaking and reading English * Able to provide informed consent * Has a TBI at least one year prior to enrollment and not related to military experience * Has a confirmation of verbal retrieval difficulties as measured by the Verbal Retrieval Difficulty Interview questions Exclusion Criteria: * Lifetime major or active neurologic conditions (e.g., stroke, epilepsy, brain tumor, dementia, seizure occurrence less than one year ago) * Lifetime major or active cardiovascular conditions (e.g., cardiac arrythmia, heart failure, heart attack)…
Interventions
- DeviceActive Transcranial direct current stimulation
Transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered via a Neuroelectrics Starstim 20 or 32. Stimulation will consist of 1 milliamp stimulation, with anodal stimulation delivered at electrode Fz (International 10/10 System for electroencephalography electrode placement) and electrodes F7, FP1, FP2, and F8 as returns. All electrodes are 1 cm diameter Ag/AgCl electrodes and make contact with the scalp via connective gel. Stimulation will linearly ramp up from 0 milliamps to 1 milliamp over 60 seconds, then remain at 1 milliamp of stimulation over 20 minutes, and finally ramping down at to 0 milliamps over 60 seconds.
- DeviceSham Transcranial direct current stimulation
Sham transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered via a Neuroelectrics Starstim 20 or 32. The sham setup will consist of anodal electrode Fz (International 10/10 System for electroencephalography electrode placement) and electrodes F7, FP1, FP2, and F8 as returns. All electrodes are 1 cm diameter Ag/AgCl electrodes and make contact with the scalp via connective gel. Stimulation will linearly ramp up from 0 milliamps to 1 milliamp over 60 seconds, ramp down to 0 milliamps over 60 seconds and then be left off for 20 minutes.
Location
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterBoston, Massachusetts