Scientists zap brains to understand feelings
NCT ID NCT05292183
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study looked at how a tiny, painless electric current to a part of the brain called the amygdala affects how people process emotions. Sixteen adults with epilepsy who already had brain electrodes in place viewed positive, negative, and neutral images while receiving random stimulation. The goal was to map brain function and explore whether this technique could one day help treat memory loss or post-traumatic stress disorder.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- electrical brain stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this research could point toward new ways to treat conditions like memory loss and post-traumatic stress disorder by using targeted brain stimulation.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small, early-stage study with only 16 participants, all of whom had epilepsy. The findings may not apply to the general population, and it is unclear if the stimulation will work as a treatment.
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
-
16 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Mar 2022
- Finished
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Feb 2024
- 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
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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 Hide 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 of 18 years or older * FSIQ 75 and above or any equivalent test of generalized intelligence as determined by the PI to adequately predict engagement in the task * Able to give independent consent for participation in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Additional neurological disorders (such as dementia, stroke, brain tumor, etc.) * Any psychiatric condition that would limit their ability to provide consent and/or perform study tasks within normal limits. This would be based on presurgical psychiatric assessment. * Anything else, that in the opinion of the principal investigator, might preclude them from participating in the study
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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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Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03776, United States
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