Determining the independent and synergistic effects of transcutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN) on direct brain activation in healthy individuals

Date Added
September 6th, 2022
PRO Number
Pro00122682
Researcher
Bashar Badran

List of Studies


Keywords
Healthy Volunteer Studies
Summary

In this research study, healthy participants will receive ear stimulation during brain imaging. Ear stimulation will involve the study team applying small electrodes to the outer part of your left ear and administering small amounts of electrical stimulation that may cause you to feel a "tickling" sensation on your ear. Participants will receive four, 8-min ear stimulation sessions in the scanner, and the order of the sessions is randomly assigned to you.

Knowledge gained from this study will help us better understand how stimulation of nerves in your ear turns on different parts of the brain.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
John Robinson
843-792-9502
robinjoh@musc.edu

Evaluating the specific role of endogenous opioids as the mechanism underlying tAN-based analgesia in healthy individuals

Date Added
September 6th, 2022
PRO Number
Pro00122762
Researcher
Bashar Badran

List of Studies


Keywords
Healthy Volunteer Studies
Summary

This study is attempting to understand whether 30-minutes of a new ear stimulation technology can reduce pain in healthy individuals. Participants in this trial will attend two experimental visits, during which they will receive ear stimulation during the intravenous administration (I.V.) of either saline or naloxone. During each visit, the amount of thermal pain participants can tolerate will be determined before and after ear stimulation. Brain scans will also be collected before and after ear stimulation. Each visit should last about 3 hours.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Falon Sutton
843-792-9502
suttonf@musc.edu

Neuromodulation for Rehabilitation of Post-Stroke Fatigue: An rTMS Pilot Study

Date Added
October 4th, 2022
PRO Number
Pro00120805
Researcher
John Kindred

List of Studies


Keywords
Stroke, Stroke Recovery
Summary

Approximately 50% of people who have had a stroke report feelings of tiredness and/or a lack of energy that is not reduced with rest and sleep. This phenomenon is known as post-stroke fatigue. Post-stroke fatigue negatively affects an individual's quality of life and participation in rehabilitation, social, and physical activities. There are currently no known effective treatment options for people with post-stroke fatigue. This study will investigate the use of a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat post-stroke fatigue. This method has proven useful in other conditions such as depression and we will measure the effects of TMS on reducing fatigue in individuals more than six months post-stroke.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Brian Cence
8437922658
cence@musc.edu

Characterizing Lower Extremity Neurophysiological Responses to Sensory Augmentation after Stroke

Date Added
November 1st, 2022
PRO Number
Pro00124079
Researcher
Jasmine Cash

List of Studies

Keywords
Stroke, Stroke Recovery
Summary

Following stroke, communication between brain areas and to the lower limbs can be compromised, leading to impairments in walking ability. Paired associative stimulation (PAS), a method of non-invasive brain stimulation, is thought to be a useful tool in understanding the relationship between different parts of the brain, and functional ability. However, PAS protocols have not been optimized for use post-stroke. The purpose of this research study is to determine the reliability and effectiveness PAS. This study involve individuals >6 months after having a stroke.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Jasmine Cash
9804282997
cashja@musc.edu

Synchronized cervical or transcranial auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation (taVNS) with prefrontal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for treatment resistant depression (TRD)

Date Added
January 3rd, 2023
PRO Number
Pro00125468
Researcher
Noah Vieira

List of Studies

Keywords
Depression
Summary

The purpose of the research is to test out a combined treatment for depression where we stimulate a nerve in the ear while at the same time stimulating the brain with magnets. These treatments are called transcutaneous (through the skin) auricular (ear) vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) and transcranial (through the skull) magnetic stimulation (TMS). For patients who already have a cervical VNS device, we will not change their treatment and will use this in place of the taVNS. We think this combined method might treat depressive symptoms better than either alone. This study is in person at the Institute of Psychiatry in downtown Charleston on the MUSC campus. First, patients will have a screening session and then will have 6 treatment days total where they will receive either VNS treatment alone, TMS treatment alone, or both at the same time. The treatment they start with will be randomized, and they will have 2 treatment days of each combination.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Noah Vieira
843 2222889
vieira@musc.edu

Extending taVNS Paired with Infant CIMT into a Home-Based Setting: Technology Development Requisite for a Randomized Trial

Date Added
January 3rd, 2023
PRO Number
Pro00123579
Researcher
Kelly McGloon

List of Studies

Keywords
Brain, Infant, Movement Disorders, Physical Therapy, Stroke Recovery
Summary

Newborns who are born premature or suffer brain injury at birth are at risk for motor problems that may cause weakness in reaching and grasping on one side of the body. In older children, therapists may use a hand mitt and restraint for the stronger arm, to encourage use of the weaker side, called constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Even with the high intensity therapy of CIMT, it typically takes between 40-120 hours total treatment time for most children to improve their motor skills. A non-invasive form of nerve stimulation, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), stimulates a nerve by the ear that enhances learning motor skills. taVNS stimulation will be triggered by EMG sensors which detect muscle activity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of taVNS to improve motor skills when paired with CIMT in infants with one-sided weakness at 6-24 months of age.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Kelly McGloon
8437926443
mclgoon@musc.edu

A Neural Basis for Cognitive Decline Following Deep Brain Stimulation

Date Added
January 25th, 2023
PRO Number
Pro00125181
Researcher
Daniel Lench

List of Studies

Keywords
Brain, Parkinsons
Summary

The objective of this research study is to identify brain biomarkers using MRI scans that can predict an individual's response to Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). A total of 55 participants with Parkinson's Disease planning to undergo DBS will be recruited from MUSCs Clinical DBS Program. Participants will undergo two visits which include a 2.5-hour pre-DBS questionnaire and MRI scanning visit, and a 3.5-hour post-DBS cognitive assessment visit.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Daniel Lench
843-792-9115
lenchd@musc.edu

Probing mechanisms of procedural memory transformation with cross-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (cf-tACS) as an avenue to sculpt sensorimotor behavior

Date Added
March 7th, 2023
PRO Number
Pro00126392
Researcher
Kirstin-Friederike Heise

List of Studies

Keywords
Aging, Central Nervous System, Healthy Volunteer Studies, Memory Loss
Summary

Sometimes, it is necessary to re-learn a previously learned movement behavior, for example, a bad posture during the golf drive or while playing the piano. Unlearning or relearning an intensively trained behavior is particularly important if the behavior is hampering recovery, for example, in chronic pain or after a stroke. With this study, we experimentally test the brain mechanisms that control the change of pre-existing stable memories of a motor skill with electroencephalography (EEG). We will then use non-invasive brain stimulation to modulate these brain mechanisms and test if it is possible to change the pre-existing motor memory and the learning of a new motor skill.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Valerie Salisbury
843-792-6150
iNRLab@musc.onmicrosoft.com

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for MCI: A Phase II Dose-Ranging Study

Date Added
March 21st, 2023
PRO Number
Pro00127160
Researcher
Andreana Benitez

List of Studies


Keywords
Aging, Alzheimers, Depression, Memory Loss
Summary

This is a Phase II research study to determine dosing of non-invasive brain stimulation for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and depression. The brain stimulation treatment used in this study is called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). rTMS is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for depression. The goal of the study is to see if brain stimulation can be used for MCI patients to improve memory, thinking, and mood, and what dose of stimulation works best.

The study uses a form of rTMS called intermittent theta burst rTMS (accelerated iTBS). This treatment has not been FDA-approved for MCI patients. This double-blind study requires 11 study visits over the course of six months.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Katrina Madden
843-792-9186
maddenka@musc.edu

Tracking Brain Biomarkers and Renormalization Associated with Antidepressant Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Therapy

Date Added
April 4th, 2023
PRO Number
Pro00127417
Researcher
Andrew Manett

List of Studies


Keywords
Brain, Depression
Summary

The purpose of this study is to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to take images of a participant's brain, and then apply an investigational way of processing the image, called Individualized Network-based Single-frame Coactivation Pattern Estimation ("INSCAPE") to measure participant's brain activity. This method uses a computer program to understand which parts of the brain communicate with each other and creates a map of the brain areas that are connected.

Participants being recruited in this study will include people planning to receive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ("TMS") for Major Depressive Disorder ("MDD"). Healthy participants are also being recruited. Images taken of depressed participants' brains will be compared to images of non-depressed participants' brains. Participation in this study will require three visits in which you will undergo MRI scans. The interval between each visits is about 3 weeks. Depressed participants will also complete mood assessments at several different intervals while they are receiving TMS for depression.

During each visit, MRI scans will require about 30 minutes of time in total. During the MRI scan, participants will need to stay still, relax, and keep eyes open in the scanner.

Institution
MUSC
Recruitment Contact
Andrew Manett
843-792-5716
manett@musc.edu



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