Medical Information Only. Always consult your healthcare provider before enrolling in any clinical trial.
NCT02767323 · ClinicalTrials.gov registry record · NA
Using TMS to Increase Executive Function in Older Adults
A NA study, sponsored by Duke University.
- Completed
- Registry status
- NA
- Development phase
- 184
- Enrollment target
NCT02767323: Completed NA study, sponsored by Duke University.
NCT02767323 is a NA study that has completed, run by Duke University. The registered enrollment target is 184 participants, below the 1,404-participant average among 58,714 other NA trials with a reported enrollment target (87% lower). According to ClinicalTrials.gov, the official US trial registry.
The verdict
NCT02767323, a NA study, has completed, sponsored by Duke University.
- COMPLETED
- Registry status
- NA
- Development phase
- 184 participants
- Enrollment target
Study Summary
Cognitive decline and dementia have become important public health issues in our time as medical science has increased lifespan and our society becomes progressively older. A great deal of the cognitive decline due to aging can be explained by decline in working memory (WM), a mental function central to cognition in which aging deficits appear almost universally. Attempts to use WM training to increase WM ability in older adults has had some success, but the transfer of performance enhancements caused by this training to other cognitive skills is controversial. Another intervention that shows much promise is noninvasive stimulation of cerebral cortex using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which has been shown to increase performance in many cognitive tasks. Here, the investigator proposes to use fMRI-guided rTMS to enhance working memory performance. This will be achieved through three Aims. In the first, registered on this record, the investigator will stimulate both old and young healthy adults while they perform the WM task that will engage the frontoparietal network. To define the optimal rTMS target, rTMS will be applied over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC: Aim 1a); or over the parietal cortex (PC: Aim 1b). These regions are involved not only in the maintenance of items in WM, but also in their manipulation, therefore applying rTMS over these areas should create WM performance enhancements that will be long-lasting. In Aim 1c, a direct within-subject comparison of these 2 targeted sites is performed. In the second and third Aims, older adults will receive active or sham rTMS over the optimal target (defined in Arm 1) during two weeks of daily sessions while they perform the WM tasks. In the second Aim, the investigator hopes to demonstrate that the cumulative effect of multiple TMS sessions, in tandem with the synergistic effects of simultaneous TMS + WM training, create WM performance enhancements greater than those found with WM training
Primary Outcome
Accuracy (in percentage) will be assessed to evaluate the acute effect of rTMS. The accuracy provided below are the ones obtained in the hardest condition of the working memory task.
Interventions
- DEVICE Sham rTMS
- DEVICE rTMS
Trial Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Enrollment Target | 184 participants |
| Start Date | 2016-08-15 |
| Est. Completion | 2020-03-16 |
| Phase | NA |
What the finished NCT02767323 record still lists
NCT02767323 is an interventional study that assigns participants to a tested intervention. The registered 184 participants enrollment target is mid-sized for trials with a published cap, below the 1,404-participant average among 58,714 other NA trials with a reported enrollment target (87% lower).
The record links to 0 conditions, and to 2 interventions - of which Sham rTMS is the first listed.
NCT02767323 does not publish any study locations in the registry export this page uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is clinical trial NCT02767323 about?
NCT02767323 is a clinical study titled "Using TMS to Increase Executive Function in Older Adults". Cognitive decline and dementia have become important public health issues in our time as medical science has increased lifespan and our society becomes progressively older. A great deal of the cognitive decline due to aging can be explained by decline in working memory (WM), a mental function centra...
What is the current status of trial NCT02767323?
This trial is currently completed. It is a NA study. The enrollment target is 184 participants. The study started on 2016-08-15. Estimated completion is 2020-03-16.
What interventions are being tested in trial NCT02767323?
The interventions under investigation include: Sham rTMS (DEVICE), rTMS (DEVICE).
Who is sponsoring clinical trial NCT02767323?
This trial is sponsored by Duke University, which has 1,725 total clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Learn More About Clinical Trials
How this trial's enrollment target compares
Where NCT02767323's enrollment target sits among peer trials
184 581st of 2000 higher than 1,417 of 2,000 other NA trials
participants (enrollment target), bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more other NA trials. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov registry export · 2026-08-08
Nationwide trials with similar profiles
Cross-condition peers matched on enrollment target and registry start date, not the same-condition list above.
Similar enrollment target
- NCT03903510 · 184 participants · NA
Virtual Reality During Pediatric Cast Removal
- NCT04020510 · 184 participants · Phase 4
Standard Injections Versus Reduced Injections for Intravesical onabotulinumtoxinA Treatment of Overactive Bladder
- NCT04135846 · 184 participants · Phase 2
Alpha-1 Blockade for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
- NCT04396873 · 184 participants · Phase 1
PET Imaging of Cyclooxygenases in Neurodegenerative Brain Disease
Similar registry start date
- NCT05962346 · started 2026-12 · NA
Fetal Endoscopic Tracheal Occlusion for Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
- NCT07125183 · started 2026-12 · Phase 2
Study on Efficacy and Tolerability of Weekly Doxorubicin in Elderly Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma
- NCT07292298 · started 2026-11 · Phase 2
Phase 2 Single-Arm Rectal Cancer Brachytherapy for Patients With Low-Lying Residual Adenocarcinoma After Total Neoadjuvant Therapy to Improve Organ Preservation Rates
- NCT04263285 · started 2026-10 · NA
Treatment of Depression Post-SCI