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Could brain stimulation help Alzheimer's patients think more clearly?

NCT ID NCT02438202

Disease control Sponsor: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim 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 This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 08, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot study tests whether electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can improve thinking and memory in people with Alzheimer's disease. ECT is a procedure that uses electrical stimulation to trigger a controlled seizure under anesthesia, and it is already used for severe depression. Researchers will give a series of ECT treatments over 27 weeks to 15 Alzheimer's patients who are on stable dementia medication. The goal is to see if ECT can boost cognitive function, possibly by increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and promoting gray matter growth in the hippocampus, which are opposite effects to those seen in Alzheimer's.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) using the Thymatron IV device
What this could lead to
If ECT improves cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients, it could offer a new way to slow or ease the disease's effects.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study, so results may not apply broadly. ECT carries risks from anesthesia and induced seizures, and its effect on Alzheimer's is unproven.

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 15 people

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

Expected to start

Dec 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jan 2028

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

65 years and older

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: * confirmed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (Mini Mental State Examination \>5 and \<26) * routine treatment of AD due to German national guidelines ("S3-Leitlinie") * Ability to consent. If in doubt an independent (from the study) psychiatrist has to document ability to consent. If no ability to consent is stated, a legal guardian can consent instead. No ECT will be performed against the patient's will. Exclusion Criteria: * contraindications for ECT * current major depressive episode due to DSM IV

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Alzheimer disease

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Alzheimer's disease

How to take part

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  1. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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