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Zapping the brain to learn new words: a new frontier in speech therapy?

NCT ID NCT05804344

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: New York University 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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 25, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study investigates whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance the learning of new speech sounds. Healthy adults will practice saying made-up words while receiving different types of tDCS to various brain regions, including areas involved in speech production. The goal is to understand which brain areas are key for speech motor learning, which could inform future treatments for speech disorders.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to different brain regions
What this could lead to
If this works, it could point toward brain stimulation techniques that help people recover speech after stroke or brain injury.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage, basic science study in healthy volunteers, so results may not translate to patient populations. tDCS is generally safe but can cause mild tingling or 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

113 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2022

Finished

Mar 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 to 35 years

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: * native English speaker (learned English in the home from birth) * no exposure to languages that contain the trained consonant clusters (e.g., Slavic languages, Greek, Hebrew). Exclusion Criteria: * a history of speech, language or hearing disorder * not passing a hearing screening (40 dB HL; ANSI: 1983) at 500, 1000, 2000, 4000Hz binaurally * presence of potential tDCS risk factors: damaged skin at site of stimulation; presence of electrically or magnetically activated implant (including pacemaker); and metal in any part of their body

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Healthy

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • New York University Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders

    New York, New York, 10012, United States

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