Can a gentle brain zapping boost fading memory?
NCT ID NCT07752316
First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether a non-invasive technique called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can improve memory and thinking in older women with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI involves a decline in cognitive abilities beyond normal aging, raising dementia risk, and effective treatments are limited. The study randomly assigns 30 women aged 60-75 to receive either active 80 Hz tACS or a sham (placebo) stimulation, with neither participants nor the person delivering the stimulation knowing which they receive. Cognitive tests before and after the sessions will compare changes in overall cognitive status, planning, working memory, and reaction speed between the two groups.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at 80 Hz
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this non-invasive brain stimulation could offer a new way to ease memory and thinking problems in people with mild cognitive impairment, potentially slowing the path to dementia.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 30 participants, so results may not apply broadly. The stimulation may not improve cognition, and side effects like tingling or itching at the scalp are possible.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili
Ardabil, Iran
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