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Zapping the brain to fight MS fatigue: magnets vs. electricity

NCT ID NCT07842302

Symptom relief Sponsor: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 25, 2026

Summary

Fatigue is the most disabling symptom for many people with multiple sclerosis, and existing drugs help only a little. This trial compares two non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, magnetic pulses (TMS) and a weak electrical current (tDCS), against sham versions to see whether either reduces fatigue. Eighty adults with relapsing-remitting MS and significant fatigue receive 20 daily sessions over four weeks, with fatigue, mood, quality of life, and thinking speed measured at the start, at the end, and six months later.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Non-invasive brain stimulation using magnetic pulses (TMS) or a weak electrical current (tDCS) applied to the forehead area
What this could lead to
If either technique eases fatigue, it could give people with MS a drug-free option that does not rely on daily medication. The results could also guide treatment for fatigue in other neurological conditions.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage comparison with 80 participants, so any benefit may be modest or fade. Brain stimulation can cause scalp discomfort, headache, or tingling, and sham-controlled trials often show that expectation alone drives some improvement.

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

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 80 people

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

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Sep 2029

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

18 years and older

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: * MS diagnosis (relapsing-remitting form) according to 2024 McDonald criteria. * ≥ 18 years old * Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 1.5-4.5 * Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) \>4 (mean score of all items) * No history of disease relapses in the previous 3 months * Be able to give informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Any other neurological condition beyond MS * Another medical situation potentially associated with fatigue (e.g. sleep apnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, arterial hypertension) * Secondary epilepsy * Matching the exclusion criteria for TMS or tES application (history of epilepsy, metallic inserts in the head with the exception of titanium, pacemaker, electronic prosthesis or biostimulators, electrodes in the brain or spinal cord, dermatological problems) according to international safety guidelines (Antal et al., 2017; Lefaucheur et al., 2014; 2020; Rossi et al., 2021) * Pregnancy or possibility of pregnancy * Alcohol or other toxic abuse in the last year * Major psychiatric disorders (eg, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.) * Inability to communicate or cognitive impairment * Change in medication in the previous 4 months

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Fatigue multiple sclerosis relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Multiple sclerosis

How to take part

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  1. The official record

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