The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of combining tDCS with motor or cognitive activities on cognitive functions in patients with AD. Second aim is to investigate if tDCS has a different impact if it is combined with motor or cognitive activities.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
23
In addition to anodal tDCS stimulation, participants simultaneously underwent motor or cognitive therapy, depending on their assigned group.
In addition to Sham tDCS stimulation, participants simultaneously underwent motor or cognitive therapy, depending on their assigned group.
Mons. A. Mazzali Foundation
Mantua, Italy
Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)
(Range: 0-30; higher score=best performance).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Picture Recognition (PR)
Picture Recognition (PR) is a subtest of the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test-3, an ecological memory battery resembling everyday tasks, with the aim to measure daily memory function. The examinee is shown a set of picture and then is asked to recognize them from a further set of pictures at a later time in the testing session. It has two parallel version for monitoring changes over time (Range: 0-15; higher score=best performance).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Digit Span Test- Forward (DSF)
Digit Span Test- Forward (DSF), used to measure span of immediate verbal recall. The examiner presents digits verbally at a rate of one per second. Examiner requires the participant to repeat the digits in the same order. The number of digits increases by one until the participant consecutively fails two trials of the same digit span length (higher score=best performance)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Digit Span Test- Backward (DSB)
Digit Span Test- Backward (DSB), used to measure working memory. The examiner presents digits verbally and repeats the digits in reverse order. The number of digits increases by one until the participant consecutively fails two trials of the same digit span length (higher score=best performance).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Phonemic Fluency Test (PFT)
Phonemic Fluency Test (PFT), used to measure processing speed, language production and executive functions. Participants are given one minute to produce as many unique words as possible starting with a given letter. The participant\'s score in each task is given by the number of correct words (higher score=best performance).
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Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Visual Search Test (VST)
Visual Search Test (VST), to assess visual-selective attention. Three matrices are shown to the subject and the patients has to cross in 45 minutes the target stimuli between distractors (Range: 0-60; higher score=best performance).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART)
Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART): used to evaluate sustained attention and control inhibition. In the test, participants view a computer monitor on which a random series of single digits are presented at the regular rate of 1 per 1.15 seconds. The task is to press a single response key following each presentation with the exception of a nominated no-go digit, to which no response should be made. In the standard version of the test, 225 digits are presented in a continuous sequence over 4.3 minutes. The outcomes are false allarm (FA), omission (OM) and reaction times (RT) (higher score = worst performance)
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks
Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI)
Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) to evaluate the presence, frequency and severity of behavioral disorders (Range 0-144; higher score = worst performance).
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at two weeks