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Electric zaps to the forehead may help restore lost sense of smell

NCT ID NCT07689773

Symptom relief Sponsor: Medical University of South Carolina Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 08, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 4 times

Summary

This study tests whether combining a mild electrical nerve stimulation on the forehead with standard smell training can improve smell function in adults with smell loss. Participants use a small device at home for 8 weeks while smelling four different odors. Researchers measure changes in smell ability, mood, sleep, and quality of life.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Trigeminal nerve stimulation-enhanced smell training
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new at-home treatment to help people regain their sense of smell and improve quality of life.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase study without a placebo group, so results may not prove the treatment works. The nerve stimulation may cause mild discomfort or skin irritation.

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

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 60 people

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

Started

Jul 2026

Expected to finish

Jun 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

18 to 80 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 18-80 * Self-reported or medically documented smell loss * Treatment-seeking for their smell loss * Naïve to TNS * Able to comprehend English and provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Medical Records not available to confirm eligibility * Documented/Suspected head injury (e.g. sport, accident, blast exposure) * Neurological disorder (e.g. epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorder) * Serious mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) * Suicidal ideation within the last month * Current (≤6 months) and/or heavy cigarette smokers (i.e. ≥ 10 pack-years) * Oral/nasal steroids or other intranasal medications * Immunomodulatory medications * Pregnant or trying to become pregnant

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anosmia

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Olfactory impairment

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

  • Medical University of South Carolina

    RECRUITING

    Charleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States

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