Learning Study: Improving Vision in Adults With Macular Degeneration (NCT04762368)
Improving Vision in Adults With Macular Degeneration, Study 2: The Effect of Concurrent Perceptual Learning and Brain Stimulation
🩺 Plain-English Summary (8th-Grade Level)
The purpose of this study is to test whether a kind of brain stimulation called anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (a-tDCS) can be combined with perceptual learning to improve the ability of people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or juvenile macular degeneration (JMD) to read words presented to them on a computer screen better than if perceptual learning alone were used. In addition, secondary measures of visual acuity will also be examined to determine whether brain stimulation can allow patients to resolve finer details of an image. The proposed treatment is the application of a-tDCS onto the participant's head, with brain stimulation aimed at Primary Visual Cortex toward the occipital pole, while patients undergo six separate sessions of training. The investigators will test the ability of participants to read words before the start of the training sessions (pre test) and after the completion of all training sessions (post test). This is a between-subjects design, and half of the participants will receive true stimulation, and the other half will receive sham stimulation. The difference between the pre and post tests when receiving active stimulation will be compared to the difference when receiving sham stimulation, because the sham stimulation is not expected to influence reading beyond a placebo. The aim of the study is to examine the potential of concurrent brain stimulation and perceptual learning as an effective treatment for macular degeneration that may be used in conjunction with more traditional eye-based interventions. The investigators hypothesize that the brain stimulation will enable higher performance in the reading task after and secondary measures after perceptual training due to an increase in the cortical excitability of the stimulated brain cells.
Who can join: Review the eligibility criteria below.
Location: University of Waterloo — Waterloo, Ontario
Age range: 18 Years
🧪 Interventions in This Study
📋 "Do I Qualify?" — 1-Minute Self Screener
Instant ChecklistFull eligibility criteria are available on the official NIH protocol. View the criteria ↗
📍 All Participating Trial Locations (2 Sites)
- University of Waterloo — Waterloo, Ontario
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University — Hung Hom, Kowloon
📞 Contact the Study Coordinator
Phone: (519) 888-4567
Email: ben.thompson@uwaterloo.ca
Coordinator details come directly from the registered NIH protocol. Confirm the study is still recruiting before traveling.
💰 Cost, Insurance & Patient Rights
- 100% Free Items: The investigational treatment and protocol-required procedures are supplied at zero cost by the sponsor.
- Routine Patient Care: Under federal law (ACA § 2709) and many state statutes, routine care costs are covered during participation.
- Voluntary Participation: You may withdraw at any time without affecting your standard medical care.
More studies in Macular Degeneration
- Study of Zifibancimig in Participants With Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration — Mesa, Arizona
- Artificial Intelligence-assisted Diagnosis in Ophthalmology — Heredia, Centro
- Remapping Text in Sentence and Word Tasks to Aid Reading With Central Vision Loss — Edina, Minnesota
- A Clinical Trial of EYE201/MK-8748 in People With Macular Degeneration (MK-8748-003) — Gilbert, Arizona
- A Prospective Observational Study to Assess the Reliability and Validity of the MLSDT — Dallas, Texas
Explore by condition: All Macular Degeneration clinical trials
💡 How to Participate
- Check the checklist above to see if you may qualify.
- Contact the study coordinator using the phone/email above.
- Ask about the visit schedule, what is covered at no cost, and any travel support.
- Confirm with your own doctor before making a decision.