NCT04289402 · ACTIVE NOT RECRUITING
Individualized Brain Stimulation to Improve Mobility in Alzheimer's Disease
This pilot trial is testing whether a personalized form of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) — a non-invasive technique that delivers a mild electrical current to a specific brain region — can improve thinking skills and physical mobility in people with mild Alzheimer's disease. Participants receive 10 sessions of real or sham stimulation. Phase NA means this is a small feasibility study, not a full efficacy trial. Details on longer-term outcomes are limited so far.
You may qualify if
- Men and women aged 65 and older living within supportive housing facilities
- Mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) defined by the combination of 1) at least mild cognitive impairment defined as a modified TICS score of ≤ 34, 2) informant-report of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living impairment as defined as a score of ≥ 6 on the NACC Functional Activities Questionnaire, and 3) a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 1.
You're excluded if
- Inability to secure informant participation
- Unwillingness to cooperate or participate in the study protocol
- An inability to ambulate without the assistance of another person (canes or walkers allowed)
- A clinical history of stroke, Parkinson's disease or parkinsonian symptoms, multiple sclerosis, normal pressure hydrocephalus, or other neurological conditions outside of mild AD.
- Any report of severe lower-extremity arthritis or physician-diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy
- Use of antipsychotics, anti-seizure, benzodiazepines, or other neuroactive medications
- Severe depression defined by a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale score greater than 16
- Any report of physician-diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychiatric illness
- Contraindications to MRI or tDCS, including reported seizure within the past two years, use of neuropsychological-active drugs, the risk of metal objects anywhere in the body, self-reported presence of specific implanted medical devices (e.g., deep brain stimulator, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, pacemakers, etc.), or the presence of any active dermatological condition, such as eczema, on the scalp
The sponsor's own eligibility wording, lightly reformatted. The study team makes the final eligibility decision — worth discussing with your doctor.
Eligibility criteria as of 2026-04-27