Brain Stimulation to Help Older Breast Cancer Survivors Walk After Chemotherapy
Tests mild brain stimulation on walking in older breast cancer survivors after chemotherapy.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Improve Gait for Breast Cancer Survivor's Who Received Taxene and/or Platinum Chemotherapy
Key facts
- Where
- Ann Arbor, United StatesSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 60 and 85 years old?
Source: NCT07864792, who can take part
Where in United States
- University of Michigan Rogel Cancer CenterAnn Arbor, United StatesNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
- Trial code
- NCT07864792
- Record updated
- 9 November 2026
- Original description
This clinical trial tests the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve gait in older breast cancer survivors who received taxane and/or platinum chemotherapy. Chemotherapy, especially taxane or platinum therapy, can cause damage to the to the nerves resulting in numbness, tingling and pain, which can cause difficulty walking. It can also cause cognitive dysfunction which may effect gait. TDCS is a non-invasive brain stimulation device which uses a very mild electrical current applied to the scalp to temporarily stimulate a specific area of the brain involved in thinking and movement which may improve walking, particularly while doing two things at once. TDCS may be effective in improving gait for older breast cancer survivors who received taxane and/or platinum chemotherapy.Read full original descriptionShow less
A Randomized, Sham Controlled, Double Blinded, Crossover Mechanistic Trial of the Impact of Transcranial Direct Current to the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Gait in Older Breast Cancer Survivor's Post-Taxane Chemotherapy
This clinical trial tests the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to improve gait in older breast cancer survivors who received taxane and/or platinum chemotherapy. Chemotherapy, especially taxane or platinum therapy, can cause damage to the to the nerves resulting in numbness, tingling and pain, which can cause difficulty walking. It can also cause cognitive dysfunction which may effect gait. TDCS is a non-invasive brain stimulation device which uses a very mild electrical current applied to the scalp to temporarily stimulate a specific area of the brain involved in thinking and movement which may improve walking, particularly while doing two things at once. TDCS may be effective in improving gait for older breast cancer survivors who received taxane and/or platinum chemotherapy.
Inclusion: Women aged 60-85 years; Breast cancer survivors, stages I-IV without clinical suspicion or evidence of brain metastasis; Completion of last taxane and/or platinum chemotherapy treatment ≥ 6 months prior, but chemotherapy was received after the age of 60. Taxane combined with a history of platinum, anthracycline and/or cyclophosphamide is permitted. Active anti-estrogen therapy, Anti-HER2, and CDK 4/6 inhibitors are permitted; Ability to walk unassisted for 60 seconds; Proficient in English; Without neurological disease, aside from chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) or chemotherapy related cognitive dysfunction (CRCD); No history of a second cancer besides skin cancer.
Exclusion: Diagnosis of a gait disorder, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease or dementia, multiple sclerosis, previous stroke or other neurodegenerative disorder; Active neurotoxic chemotherapy (taxane, platinum or vinca alkaloid) or radiation therapy; Hospitalization within the past three months due to acute illness or as the result of a musculoskeletal injury significantly affecting gait or balance; Any unstable medical condition; Myocardial infarction within the past six months; History of immune check point inhibitor therapy; Any history of brain or cervical spine surgery, known hearing, visual, or vestibular impairment; Contraindications to transcranial direct simulation (tDCS), including reported seizure within the past two years,, metal objects in head or neck, self-reported presence of specific implanted medical devices (e.g., deep brain stimulator, cochlear implant, vagus nerve stimulator, spinal cord stimulator, pacemakers, and intracardiac devices, etc.), or the presence of any active dermatological condition, such as eczema, on the scalp; Chronic vertigo.