Recruiting

tRNS & Perceptual Learning

Sponsor:

Georgetown University

Code:

NCT07105358

Conditions

Visual Field Defect

Stroke

Hemianopia

Quadrantanopia

Cortical Blindness

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Sham Stimulation

Perceptual learning-based training

Study Details

Brief summary:

The VIBRANT (Vision Improvement through Behavioral Rehabilitation And Neuroplasticity Training) study is a prospective, double-blind, crossover design (within-subject) in participants with homonymous hemianopia-a type of visual field loss resulting from damage to the post-chiasmatic visual pathways. It aims to investigate whether transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) combined with perceptual learning-based training has potential for improving visual impairments.

Conditions

Visual Field Defect

Stroke

Hemianopia

Quadrantanopia

Cortical Blindness

Study ID

NCT07105358

Start date

Jul 17, 2025

Status verified date

Jul, 2025

Completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

A. Stroke, brain tumor, or traumatic brain injury patients

Inclusion Criteria:

1. At least 18 years of age.
2. Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.
3. Unilateral or bilateral focal brain damage causing loss of vision.
4. At least three months post-stroke or traumatic brain injury, or a stable brain tumor within the past year.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Severe CNS diseases or disorders unrelated to the focal lesion, which could interfere with study results.
2. Severe mental health challenges that could interfere with study results, or current or recent (within the past 6 months) drug or alcohol abuse or addiction as defined by DSM-5.
3. Vision loss resulting from ocular disease or disorder.

B. Healthy volunteers (age-matched controls):

Inclusion Criteria:

1. At least 18 years of age.
2. Capable of providing informed consent and complying with study procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Any CNS diseases or psychiatric disorders (e.g., epilepsy, schizophrenia) that would interfere with study results.
2. Previous head injury.
3. Present or past (within past 6 months) drug or alcohol abuse or addiction based on DSM-5.

Study Design

Enrollment

30 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: tRNS with perceptual learning-based training

Each 2-day session consists of up to three 18-minute transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) paired with perceptual learning-based training.

sham comparator: Sham with perceptual learning-based training

Each 2-day session consists of up to three 18-minute sham stimulation paired with perceptual learning-based training.

Interventions

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Stimulation location: bilateral human middle temporal complex (hMT+). Stimulation parameters: 1 mA current intensity, with a frequency range of 101-640 Hz.

Sham Stimulation

Stimulation location: bilateral human middle temporal complex (hMT+). Stimulation parameters: Ramp up stimulation at 1mA with a frequency range of 101-640Hz for the first 30 seconds followed by no current for the remainder of the duration.

Perceptual learning-based training

A motion discrimination task, judging the global direction of moving dot stimuli with two different coherence levels.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in Motion Discrimination Performance [ Time Frame: Study visit 1 to 2 (within a week), and study visit 3 to 4 (within a week) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Tina Liu, PhD

2027849920tina.liu@georgetown.edu

Kyungji Moon, MS

2027849949vpplab@georgetown.edu

Locations

Georgetown University Medical Center

Recruiting

Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States, 20057

Contacts

Visual Perception and Plasticity Lab

202-784-9949vpplab@georgetown.edu

Principal Investigator:

Tina Liu, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

Georgetown University

Last update posted

Aug 5, 2025

Last verified

Jul, 2025

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Georgetown University on 2025-08-05.