Home-based TDCS (Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation) for Cognitive and Behavioral Symptoms in Huntington's Disease

Prior treatment

• Have risk of suicidal behavior, defined as any suicidal behavior or suicidal ideation of type 4 (active suicidal ideation with some intent to act, without specific plan) or type 5 (active suicidal ideation with specific plan and intent) based on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) in the 3 months prior to screening (Posner et al. 2011);

Other illness

• Unstable medical conditions (e.g. unstable angina, uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, advanced cancer, etc.);
• History of epilepsy;
• Clinical diagnosis of major cognitive disorder (i.e., dementia);

Other

• Being an active participant in other therapeutic clinical trial;
• Determined to be incapable of consent per PMH or via assessment by the study staff at time of consent.
• Participant has a pacemaker or any other implanted device/material contraindicated in the use of tDCS per current labeling requirements.
  • Caregiver
  • 1\. Any individual who does not meet all the inclusion criteria

• individuals aged 18-85 years with confirmed HD mutation and/or established family history alongside typical symptoms (i.e., chorea) of HD;
• early (stages 1 and 2) or moderate (stage 3) stages according to Shoulson-Fahn criteria, also known as the UHDRS total functional capacity (TFC) scale (Bates, Tabrizi, and Jones 2014);
• exhibit mild to moderate behavioral symptoms defined by severity scores in the PBA-S between 1 and 3 for any of the evaluated symptoms and no symptoms with a severity score of 4;
• stable doses of medications for at least one month.
• Ability of subject to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document.
• Have a caregiver willing to be present during tDCS sessions and answer questionnaires.
  • Caregiver
• An adult who serves as an unpaid caregiver for an individual enrolled in the study as interpreted by the PI or delegate physician.
• Adequate cognitive capacity to provide verbal consent to participate in the caregiver arm of the study.
• Adequate reading, writing, hearing, and verbal capacity to provide collateral information about the study participant as well as answer questions related to their health and care.