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Zapping the brain while talking: a new angle on cocaine addiction

NCT ID NCT07829263

Symptom relief Sponsor: Virginia Commonwealth University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University are testing whether adding high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to cognitive behavioral therapy can help people with cocaine use disorder. The trial enrolls 36 adults aged 18 to 65 who meet criteria for moderate or severe cocaine use disorder and want to reduce their use. Participants receive eight 60-minute remote therapy sessions via Zoom, with brain stimulation delivered during the sessions. The main goal is to see if this combined approach is feasible and whether it reduces cocaine-positive urine tests.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation device, combined with cognitive behavioral therapy
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new way to help people with cocaine use disorder stay in treatment and reduce cocaine use.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage feasibility trial with no control group, so it cannot prove whether the brain stimulation adds benefit beyond therapy alone. Results may not generalize, and the device may cause mild scalp discomfort.

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 36 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

Dec 2027

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 to 65 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 * Between 18 and 65 years-of-age. * Meet current DSM-5 criteria for Cocaine Use Disorder (CocUD), moderate or severe * Professed interest in CocUD treatment or reducing cocaine use. * Understand and comply with study procedures * Positive urine result for cocaine metabolite in at least one screening visit. Exclusion Criteria * Current DSM-5 diagnosis of any non-cocaine substance use disorder (SUD) other than alcohol use disorder-mild or cannabis use disorder-mild * Epilepsy or a history of multiple seizures * Taking any medications known to reduce seizure threshold * History of migraines, ringing in the ears, and/or a head injury that resulted in a diagnosis of concussion and/or loss of consciousness * Current scalp condition (e.g. psoriasis) or head wound that has not completely healed * Currently pregnant or hoping to become pregnant at any point during the study * Significant current suicidal or homicidal ideation * Metal plate in skull or other embedded metal fragments in body or other bodily metal * Claustrophobia or other MRI contraindications * Fitted with electrical implants such as pacemaker * Present with clinically significant symptoms of acute cocaine or opioid withdrawal (these individuals would be rescheduled after resolution of acute withdrawal, if possible).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cocaine dependence

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cocaine use disorder

How to take part

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  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Virginia Commonwealth University

    RECRUITING

    Richmond, Virginia, 23298, United States

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