Recruiting
Early Phase 1

HD-tACS

Sponsor:

Boston University Charles River Campus

Code:

NCT07208318

Conditions

Aging

Visual Perception

Noninvasive Brain Stimulation

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

High definition transcranial electrical current stimulation

Study Details

Brief summary:

Tests whether age-related visual deficits arise from disrupted alpha-gamma coupling in visual cortex (V1) and MT. Uses fMRI, source-resolved HD-EEG, and personalized complex-waveform HD-tACS to (1) quantify aging effects on phase-amplitude coupling, (2) drive PAC into a preferred "gamma-at-alpha-troughs" state, and (3) bidirectionally change perception by aligning gamma to alpha troughs vs peaks. Two five-day, double-blind, sham-controlled studies (n=120 each) target contrast sensitivity (V1) and 3D shape-from-motion (MT), aiming for mechanistic insight and remediation in older adults with implications for ADRD.

Conditions

Aging

Visual Perception

Noninvasive Brain Stimulation

Study ID

NCT07208318

Start date

Apr 2, 2026

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Aug 31, 2030

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug 31, 2030

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 18+ years of age or older
  • normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity, color vision, and stereo vision

Exclusion Criteria:

  • not pregnant,
  • no metal implants in head,
  • no implanted electronic devices,
  • no history of neurological problems or head injury,
  • no skin sensitivity,
  • no claustrophobia,
  • no dementia (normal Mini Mental State Examination between 24-30; Montreal Cognitive Assessment > 25)
  • no depression (normal Beck Depression Inventory II <13; Geriatric Depression Scale < 10)
  • no ophthalmological diseases (e.g., strabismus, glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration)
  • no history of psychosis
  • no cognitive deficits (MMSE score>24; MoCA>25)
  • cannot be taking any psychoactive medication.

Study Design

Enrollment

240 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: active stimulation

sham comparator: sham stimulation

Interventions

High definition transcranial electrical current stimulation

Low-intensity and safe, noninvasive application of electrical current to the human scalp with the goal of gradually modulating levels of neuronal excitability.

Primary outcome measure

  • contrast sensitivity [ Time Frame: Baseline (pre-stimulation) and immediately post-stimulation, collected on each of the 5 study days. ]
  • 3D structural-from-motion [ Time Frame: Baseline (pre-stimulation) and immediately post-stimulation, collected on each of the 5 study days. ]
  • phase-amplitude coupling [ Time Frame: Baseline (pre-stimulation) and immediately post-stimulation, collected on each of the 5 study days. ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Robert Reinhart, PhD

(617) 353-9481rmgr@bu.edu

Locations

111 Cummington Mall, Boston University

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215

Contacts

Robert Reinhart, PhD

617-353-9481rmgr@bu.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Boston University Charles River Campus

Last update posted

Jul 16, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Boston University Charles River Campus on 2026-07-16.