Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Can a gentle brain current quiet alcohol cravings?

NCT ID NCT07808190

Disease control Sponsor: Shanghai Mental Health Center 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 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 trial tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called HD-tACS can reduce alcohol cravings and help prevent relapse in people with alcohol use disorder. Participants receive either real or sham stimulation for 20 minutes, three times a day, over 10 days. Researchers measure changes in craving, impulsivity, and learning patterns to see if the treatment has a lasting effect.

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 alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS), a non-invasive brain stimulation device
What this could lead to
If effective, this could offer a drug-free way to curb alcohol cravings and lower relapse risk after detoxification.
What could go wrong
The trial is early and small, and results may not hold for everyone. Brain stimulation can cause mild discomfort, and its long-term benefits remain 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 140 people

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

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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

18 to 55 years

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: * Age range: 18-55 years old, gender not restricted; * Meets the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder (moderate to severe); * AUDIT score ≥ 16; * Baseline score after alcohol cue-induced stimulation is ≥ 3; * Completed detoxification treatment before enrollment (moderate to severe), with detoxification duration of ≥ 7 days and ≤ 90 days; * Has a primary school education or above, and can understand and complete the research assessment; * Voluntarily participated in the study and signed the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * Currently, there are other substance use disorders (except nicotine); * Currently, there are schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other severe psychotic disorders; * Has a history of epilepsy or family history of epilepsy; * Has a history of brain trauma, brain surgery or intracranial metal implants; * Has received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), transcranial electrical/magnetic/ultrasound stimulation within the past 6 months; * Pregnant or lactating women; * Other situations that the researchers consider unsuitable for participation in this study.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Alcohol use disorder are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

alcohol abuse

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Alcohol use disorder

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

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

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Shanghai Mental Health Center

    Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200000, China

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.