Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Pain Management in Persons With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Pain Management in Persons With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the preliminary effects of home-based M1-SO applied tDCS (that is, tDCS with the anode over the primary motor cortex and the cathode over the contralateral supraorbital area) on clinical pain in persons with early-stage Alzheimer's disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), to evaluate the preliminary effects of home-based M1-SO applied tDCS on pain-related cortical response in persons with early-stage ADRD, and to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of home-based M1-SO applied tDCS for pain management in persons with early-stage AD.

Inclusion Criteria:

• early-stage Alzhimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD)
• have caregiver-reported chronic pain (average pain in the past 3 months ≥ 3 out of 10),
• have a caregiver willing to participate in the study who sees the participant at least 10 hours/week
• can speak and read English
• have no plans to change medication regimens during the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

• history of brain surgery, brain tumor, seizure, stroke, or intracranial metal implantation
• alcohol/substance abuse
• severely diminished cognitive function (i.e., MiniMental Status Exam score ≤ 15)
• hospitalization within the preceding year for neuropsychiatric illness