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Zapping the brain to boost therapy: small study tests new approach

NCT ID NCT05555056

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Manitoba 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
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This small study tested whether a gentle brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS could improve the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for people with depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Twenty participants received either real or fake stimulation daily for five weeks while attending therapy. The main goal was to see changes in brain connectivity, not to measure symptom improvement.

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)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to make therapy more effective for people with depression, anxiety, or PTSD.
What could go wrong
This was a very small study with only 20 people, and it looked at brain activity, not symptoms. It may not lead to a practical 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

20 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2023

Finished

Apr 2026

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

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * all patients who have agreed to participate in virtual mental health treatment at health care sites throughout Manitoba. Eligible participants will be those enrolled in a range of mental health programs, including CBT, DBT, virtual hospital wards, and group-based treatment (e.g., CBTm, Managing Difficult Emotions, etc). The target population will also include providers and decision makers offering virtual mental health programs. Individuals must meet the following criteria to be eligible to participate in the study: 1) must be a patient/client enrolled in a virtual mental health program OR a provider/decision maker offering a virtual mental health program, and 2) located within Manitoba Exclusion Criteria: * contraindication for MRI (e.g., metallic implants and claustrophobia)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder Depression depressive disorder post-traumatic stress disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Anxiety Depression Stress disorders, post-traumatic

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Manitoba

    Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3E 0J9, Canada

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