Zapping the brain to sharpen memory: new study tests electrical stimulation and cognitive rehab
NCT ID NCT03036319
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study from the University of Michigan is testing whether cognitive rehabilitation (brain training exercises) and transcranial electrical stimulation (mild electrical currents applied to the scalp) can improve thinking abilities like memory, attention, and problem-solving in adults aged 50 and older. The trial will enroll 500 participants with or without cognitive decline and compare active stimulation to sham (placebo) stimulation over up to 260 sessions. The goal is to find the best ways to use these methods, alone or together, to help people maintain or improve their cognitive function.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial electrical stimulation (tDCS/tACS) and cognitive rehabilitation
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a non-drug approach to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving in older adults with cognitive decline.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage, observational-style study testing multiple methods, not a treatment trial. Results may not lead to a proven therapy, and individual benefits may vary.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for COGNITIVE DEFICIT are added.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
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
Show contact details
Enter your email to view the contact information for this study.
By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use
Study contacts
-
Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
-
Contact
Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Locations
-
University of Michigan - Department of Psychiatry
RECRUITINGAnn Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
Contact
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
Contact Phone: •••-•••-•••• Email: •••••@•••••
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.