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Zapping the brain to understand how we stay focused

NCT ID NCT05251454

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Cincinnati 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 02, 2026 · Last updated Sep 03, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati are studying how brief electrical brain stimulation affects the brain waves that help us stay focused and switch between tasks. They will record brain activity from over 100 electrodes in adults with epilepsy who are already undergoing brain monitoring for surgery. Participants will receive safe, individualized stimulation while performing cognitive tasks, and the team will analyze how their brain signals and performance change.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Brief electrical brain stimulation
What this could lead to
If it works, this could reveal how targeted brain stimulation might sharpen cognitive control, pointing toward future therapies for attention or mood disorders.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 5 participants, all epilepsy patients, so results may not apply to the general public. The stimulation is brief and safe, but it is not a treatment for any disease.

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 5 people

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

Started

Jun 2022

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

18 to 70 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: * Adult patients who are undergoing electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring as part of a standard clinical procedure for the treatment of pharmacologically resistant epilepsy at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who have cognitive or physical impairments that would limit their ability to participate in the cognitive testing will be excluded from the study. Other exclusions include adults unable to consent, non-English speaking patients, children age 17 and younger, pregnant women (note: pregnant women are not candidates for intracranial EEG monitoring), and prisoners.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Cognition Disorders cognitive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cognitive deficit

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Cincinnati

    Cincinnati, Ohio, 45219, United States

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