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Investigating tDCS for Working Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment

This study is looking into how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects working memory in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in healthy older adults. tDCS is a non-invasive way to stimulate brain regions involved in thinking. Participants will receive either active tDCS or a sham (inactive) tDCS. Researchers will measure changes in working memory accuracy after these stimulations. You might be able to join if you are between 60 and 95 years old, have a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score of 18 or higher, and can receive electrical stimulation. The study aims to enroll 110 participants, but its current status is unclear.

Study design
This is a mechanistic, in-scanner, crossover study with 110 participants, comparing active tDCS to sham tDCS.
What's involved
You would participate in training sessions and receive either active or sham electrical stimulation, with working memory accuracy measured at different time points.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Working memory accuracy is measured at 12 minutes, 24 minutes, and 36 minutes after stimulation, with comparisons made at least two weeks apart.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05998031

A Mechanistic Study to Investigate tDCS and Working Memory in MCI Patients

Recruiting
NAAges 60–95Interventional
University of Florida
~110 participants
Updated 2026-06-26 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Active tDCSSham tDCS

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
2-back Working Memory Accuracy
Measured over 12 minutes versus 24 minutes, 12 minutes versus 36 minutes. Then at each time point comparing active versus sham stimulation, separated by at least two weeks.

Conditions

Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive Decline

Explore related trials

Mild cognitive disorder

NCT05998031

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • University of Florida

    Gainesville, Floridastudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

Study leadership

  • Aprinda I Queen, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · University of Florida

Who to contact

Aprinda I Queen, PhD
[email protected]
3522948990
Email the study team

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Age 60-95 years
Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score 18 and above (scores will be adjusted for education)
Able to receive electrical stimulation
Ability to comprehend conversational voices
Adequate motor capacity to operate computer mouse and click-button in-scanner

Exclusion

Failure to provide informed consent
Contraindications to MRI recording (e.g., any kind of ferrous metallic stents or ferrous metal objects in the body, heart valve prosthesis, or other metal implants, claustrophobia, neurostimulation system, defibrillator, pacemaker, or other implanted device)
Left-handed, or left hand dominant
History of neurological, seizures, and psychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injury, incidence of stroke involving large vessel
Terminal illness with life expectancy less than 12 months, as determined by physician
Brain tumor or malformation or any foreign body known or previously identified in brain
Cancer in active treatment, besides skin cancer
Currently on GABAergic or glutamatergic medications, or on calcium or sodium channel blockers, which alter or block the ability of tDCS to facilitate tissue excitability
Unable to communicate because of severe hearing loss or speech disorder
Severe sensory impairment
Inability to communicate in English
Severe visual impairment, which would preclude completion of the assessment and/or intervention
No physical impairment precluding motor response or lying still for an hour in the scanner that could confound study findings
Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms as defined by scoring 10 or above on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)

What this trial measures

  • 2-back Working Memory Accuracy12 minutes versus 24 minutes, 12 minutes versus 36 minutes. Then at each time point comparing active versus sham stimulation, separated by at least two weeks.

    N-back accuracy as working memory performance will be analyzed as a percent accuracy score on the 2-back and 0-back task.