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Zapping the brain at 10 hz may help older adults stay steady

NCT ID NCT07097051

Symptom relief Sponsor: High Point University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 16, 2026 · Last updated Sep 17, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Older adults with mild cognitive impairment often have weaker alpha brain waves, which are linked to problems with multitasking and balance. Researchers at High Point University are testing whether ten sessions of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can boost alpha activity and improve dual-task standing. Twenty participants aged 65 to 85 will be randomly assigned to receive either real tACS or a sham treatment, and researchers will measure changes in brain activity, posture, and executive function.

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), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique
What this could lead to
If it works, tailored brain stimulation could become a non-drug way to help older adults with mild cognitive impairment stay steady on their feet and think more clearly.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study of 20 people, so any benefits may not hold up in larger trials. The sham-controlled design means some participants receive a placebo, and the long-term effects of repeated stimulation are not fully known.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 20 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

May 2025

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

65 to 85 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 65+ * Who have been diagnosed with cognitive impairment (based in MoCA or TICS and Clinical Dementia Rating: CDR 0.5) * Ability to stand and walk independently * Willing and capable to give informed consent for the participation in the study after it has been thoroughly explained * Cut off of MOCA score \>18 will be applied * Able and willing to comply with all study requirements informed consent form was signed * Understanding of the ICF will be assessed by asking the participant to answer the following three questions: 1) What is the purpose of this study? 2) What are the risks of study involvement? 3) If you decide to participate, are you allowed to withdraw from the study at any time? Answers will be recorded by study personnel on the "Assessment of Protocol Understanding" form (see attached). Insufficient understanding will be defined by one or more incorrect answers, as determined at the discretion of the investigator. Exclusion Criteria: * Cut off of MOCA score \<18 will be applied * Major psychiatric co-morbidity including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia or psychosis * Blindness or other disabilities that prevent task performance * Self-reported history of stroke or neurodegenerative disorders other than MCI. * Self-reported active cancer for which chemo-/radiation therapy is being received. * Contraindications to tACS, as recorded on a standardized screening questionnaire, which include a reported seizure within the past two years, use of neuro-active drugs, self-reported presence of specific implanted medical devices (e.g., deep brain stimulator, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, pacemaker, etc.), or the presence of any active dermatological condition, such as eczema, on the scalp.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Cognitive Dysfunction

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • High Point University

    High Point, North Carolina, 27262, United States

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