The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of non-invasive deep brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment. Participants performed a motor task with non-invasive deep brain stimulation applied to the striatum, which is crucial for motor skill acquisition. The study compared motor skill performance between with the active stimulation and the control stimulation.
This study implemented a randomized, double-blinded, and sham-controlled design, investigating the effects of non-invasive deep brain stimulation on motor skill acquisition in individuals Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
15
tTIS is an innovative non-invasive brain stimulation approach, in which two or more independent stimulation channels deliver high-frequency currents in the kHz range (oscillating at f1 and f1 + Δf). These high-frequency currents are assumed to be too high to effectively modulate neuronal activity. Still, by applying a small shift in frequency, they result in a modulated electric field with the envelope oscillating at the low-frequency Δf (target frequency) where the two currents overlap. The peak of the modulated envelope amplitude can be steered towards specific areas located deep in the brain, by tuning the positions of the electrodes and the current ratio across stimulation channels. Here, we applied tTIS via surface electrodes applying a low-intensity (2mA baseline to peak), sub-threshold protocol following the safety guidelines for low-intensity transcranial electric stimulation in humans.
EPFL, Campus Biotech
Geneva, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland
EPFL Valais, Clinique Romande de readaptation
Sion, Valais, Switzerland
Motor learning performance
The primary outcome of the study is a laboratory-developed computerized motor task. It is not a standardized clinical scale, but a custom-designed measure specifically created to assess motor learning (e.g., Maceira-Elvira et al. 2022). The task consists of pressing, as quickly and accurately as possible, four buttons corresponding to the fingers labeled from 2 to 5 (2 for the index and 5 for the pinky finger). According to an explicit sequence displayed on a computer screen, the participants learn the sequence. The task performance is evaluated as how fast (sequence, consisting 9 elements/button key presses) and accurate (% of correct sequence) participants perform, within a block of 90 seconds, and their changes over time (during training and following training).
Time frame: From baseline to 24 hours after training
Brain connectivity
Diffusion-weighted and resting-state MRI are performed at baseline, and they allow to evaluate inter-individual anatomical factors associated to the primary outcome. While specific hypotheses exist, particularly regarding cortico-subcortical interactions (i.e., involving striatum), the analyses are exploratory in nature, given complexity of connectivity measures. Functional connectivity will be evaluated using correlation-based methods and graph metrics; structural connectivity will be assessed through diffusion tractography (with graph metrics as well).
Time frame: Baseline measure (before the intervention)
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