Active tDCS for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Ben Thompson, PhD

Research Sponsored by University of Waterloo

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Be older than 18 years old

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart.

Summary

This trial is testing whether a-tDCS, a kind of brain stimulation, can be combined with perceptual learning to improve the ability of people with age-related or juvenile macular degeneration to read words on a computer screen.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for adults with stable vision and diagnosed age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or juvenile macular degeneration (JMD), who have a visual acuity between 6/9-6/96 in the better eye. Participants must be fluent in English or Chinese characters, depending on location, and not have had recent ocular surgery except under specific conditions.

What is being tested?

The study tests if brain stimulation called anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS), combined with perceptual learning, can improve reading ability on a computer screen for those with AMD or JMD. Half of the participants will receive real stimulation while the other half get sham treatment to compare effectiveness.

What are the potential side effects?

While not explicitly listed, side effects may include discomfort at the electrode site from tDCS, potential headaches, tingling sensations during application, fatigue after sessions, and possibly transient mood changes.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart.

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart.

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and the tests will take roughly 5 minutes to complete, and they will be roughly 7-10 weeks apart. for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Change in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) Reading performance 30 days after training

Change in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) Reading performance before and right after training.

Secondary study objectives

Change in Contrast Sensitivity before and 30 days after training

Change in Contrast Sensitivity before and just after training

Change in Crowded Visual Acuity before and 30 days after training

+5 more

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Active Control

Placebo Group

Group I: Active + TrainingActive Control1 Intervention

Participants in this arm will be exposed to active stimulation for the first 25 minutes of a roughly hour - long perceptual training procedure in which participants must verbally read sentences presented at various speeds and sizes.

Group II: Sham + TrainingPlacebo Group1 Intervention

Participants in this arm will be exposed to sham stimulation for the first 25 minutes of a roughly hour - long perceptual training procedure in which participants must verbally read sentences presented at various speeds and sizes.

Do I qualify?Apply below to find out