Tundra Space

Tundra Space

Clinical Research Directory

Browse clinical research sites, groups, and studies.

Back to Studies
RECRUITING
NCT06771531
NA

Brain Stimulation for Foot-sole Sensation in Older Adults With Foot-sole Somatosensory Deficits

Sponsor: Hebrew SeniorLife

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

In older adults, diminished sensation of the legs and feet is highly prevalent and causes poor balance and reduced mobility. This type of sensation is not only dependent upon the receptors and nerves in the legs and feet, but also upon a complex central nervous system pathway that includes the cerebral cortex of the brain. This project will use a form of noninvasive brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to test whether increasing the excitability of the brain networks that process sensory feedback can augment foot sole sensation, balance, and mobility in older adults suffering from mild-to-moderate foot sole sensory impairments.

Official title: Cortical Mechanisms and Modulation of Somatosensation in Older Adults With Foot Sole Somatosensory Impairments

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

65 Years - Any

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

20

Start Date

2026-03-09

Completion Date

2026-12-31

Last Updated

2026-03-05

Healthy Volunteers

No

Interventions

DEVICE

transcranial direct current stimulation

tDCS can safely and selectively modulate cortical excitability (specifically neuronal firing likelihood) by transferring weak electrical currents between scalp electrodes. The direct current delivered by any one electrode will not exceed 2.0 mA and the total amount of current from all electrodes will not exceed 4 mA in this study.

DEVICE

active sham stimulation

sham stimulation will implement the same protocol of the tDCS intervention; however, only very low-level currents (no more than 0.5 mA) are transferred between the same electrodes used for the tDCS throughout the 20-minute session. This strategy effectively mimics the cutaneous sensations and skin redness induced by creating only micro cortical electric fields.

Locations (1)

Hebrew SeniorLife

Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States