Remote tDCS and Chair Yoga for Chronic Knee Pain in Alzheimer's Patients

Conditions

• Alzheimer&Amp;#39;s Disease
• Other Dementias

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

60 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Active tDCS paired with active online chair yoga — DEVICE
  Active tDCS with a constant current of 2 milli amperes (mA) will be applied for 20 minutes daily for 1 week, and 20 minutes 3 times per week for 3 weeks via the Soterix 1x1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator device with headgear and saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes. Online chair yoga therapy lasting 30 minutes will be conducted via Zoom by a yoga therapist immediately after each tDCS session.

Study Details

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a home-based, remotely supervised intervention combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and online chair yoga (OCY) to manage chronic knee pain in older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). Chronic knee pain is prevalent among individuals with ADRD and is often underdiagnosed and undertreated, contributing to neuropsychiatric symptoms, reduced quality of life, and increased caregiver burden. Current pharmacological options, such as opioids, pose risks of adverse events in this population. tDCS is a safe, noninvasive technique that uses low-intensity electrical current to modulate brain activity and may improve pain perception by targeting central mechanisms. Chair yoga is a mind-body intervention shown to improve pain and mood in older adults, including those with dementia. This study proposes that combining tDCS and OCY may have synergistic benefits in reducing pain and enhancing function. Participants will include older adults aged 60+ with mild to moderate ADRD and chronic knee pain, along with their caregivers. Over four weeks, participants will complete 14 supervised sessions of combined tDCS and OCY at home. Outcomes include feasibility, satisfaction, pain intensity, pain interference, neuropsychiatric symptoms, sleep disturbance, cognitive function, mobility, and quality of life. Neurophysiological measures (e.g., fNIRS, EEG, HF-HRV) will also be assessed to explore underlying mechanisms. This study seeks to lay the foundation for future large-scale randomized controlled trials of home-based nonpharmacological interventions for chronic pain in ADRD.

Key Dates

Start date

Mar 4, 2025

Status verified

Dec 2025

Primary completion

Aug 20, 2026

Completion

Aug 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

40 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NA

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Experimental: Active Chair Yoga paired with active tDCS
  Active Chair Yoga paired with active tDCS

Primary Outcome Measure

Numeric Rating Score (NRS) of Pain [ Time Frame: Baseline (Week 0); after each intervention session (Sessions 1-14 over Weeks 1-4); and end of intervention (Week 4). ]

Locations (1)

Find similar trials in Tucson, AZ

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