NCT07900191 · NOT YET RECRUITING
Network-based tDCS for Apathy
Sponsor: Hebrew SeniorLife
This small pilot study tests whether a home-based brain stimulation device, using a gentle electrical current on areas tied to motivation, is practical and safe for older adults with dementia and apathy. Researchers will track safety, how well people stick with it, and early signs of change. It is an early feasibility study, not a test of whether it works, and enrollment has not yet started.
You may qualify if
- age ≥65 years;
- English communication sufficient for procedures;
- a documented diagnosis of dementia;
- with Apathy Evaluation Scale by (by informant/caregiver) (AES-I) score ≥36.
You're excluded if
- acute medical conditions requiring hospitalization within the past month;
- diagnosis of neurological disorders other than dementia that interfere with apathy or functional assessment (e.g., Parkinson's disease);
- moderate to severe dementia (i.e., Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST) ≥6);
- receiving hospice care;
- severe vision or hearing deficits;
- uncontrolled hypertension;
- recreational drug or alcohol abuse;
- hemiparesis from stroke;
- severe depression as assessed by Geriatric Depression Scale-30 score ≥20;
- contraindications to tDCS (e.g., implanted brain medical devices), or skin conditions (e.g., eczema) under the target of tDCS;
- medications interfering with the effects of tDCS (e.g., benzodiazepine).
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 2026-10-28