Description Module
The Description Module contains narrative descriptions of the clinical trial, including a brief summary and detailed description. These descriptions provide important information about the study's purpose, methodology, and key details in language accessible to both researchers and the general public.
Description Module path is as follows:
Study -> Protocol Section -> Description Module
Description Module
Ignite Creation Date:
2025-12-24 @ 11:32 PM
Ignite Modification Date:
2025-12-24 @ 11:32 PM
NCT ID:
NCT04221256
Brief Summary:
The brain is able to change throughout life in response to learning, or injury, or to adapt to changes in the environment, which is known as neuroplasticity. Stroke survivors suffer disabling chronic motor impairments that have proven challenging to improve. Increasing neuroplasticity using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is a promising approach to promote motor recovery in patients with stroke.
Detailed Description:
The brain is able to change throughout life in response to learning, or injury, or to adapt to changes in the environment, which is known as neuroplasticity. Stroke survivors suffer disabling chronic motor impairments that have proven challenging to improve. Increasing neuroplasticity using selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is a promising approach to promote motor recovery in patients with stroke. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently widely used for treatment of depression, but they also have been shown to be able to enhance neuroplasticity. A single dose of SSRI has been shown to improve hand function in patients with chronic stroke. SSRIs also enhance neuroplasticity in healthy individuals, as shown using paired associative stimulation (PAS), a non-invasive method which causes the brain's excitability to change. However, the best dose of SSRI to increase neuroplasticity is not yet established.
The purpose of this study is to (1) find the effective dose of the SSRI escitalopram to modulate PAS-induced plasticity in patients with stroke and healthy individuals and (2) determine the variability of escitalopram's effect on PAS-induced plasticity between individuals. We measure neuroplasticity with PAS, which causes the brain's excitability to change. During PAS, you would receive electrical stimulation over your wrist and magnetic stimulation to their scalp (called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS) to increase the excitability of the motor area of the brain. You will be asked to participate in a screening visit and 8 study visits separated by at least 1 week. At each study visit, you will be given a single dose of escitalopram (5, 10 or 20) or placebo, and we will measure your brain's change in excitability after PAS.
Study:
NCT04221256
Study Brief:
Protocol Section:
NCT04221256