Could a head zapper tame tough seizures?

NCT ID NCT04770337

First seen Apr 20, 2026 · Last updated May 14, 2026 · Updated 6 times

Summary

This study tested a device called STARSTIM that delivers a mild electrical current to the brain (tDCS) to see if it can safely reduce seizures in people with epilepsy that doesn't respond to medication. 127 participants aged 9 and older received either real or fake (sham) stimulation for 10 sessions over two weeks. Researchers tracked seizure changes and quality of life for 10 more weeks to see if the treatment helped.

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Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center

    Phoenix, Arizona, 85013, United States

  • Beth Israel Deconess Medical Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

  • Boston Children's Hospital Comprehensive Epilepsy Center

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

  • CHU de Marseille - Hôpital de la Timone

    Marseille, France

  • Centro de Neurología Avanzada

    Seville, Spain

  • Children's Hospital of Orange County

    Orange, California, 92868, United States

  • Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc

    Brussels, Belgium

  • Ghent University Hospital

    Ghent, Belgium

  • HM Nou Delfos

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Hospices Civils De Lyon

    Lyon, France

  • Hospital Clínic

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Hospital Del Mar

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Hospital Niño Jesús

    Madrid, Spain

  • Hospital Ruber Internacional

    Madrid, Spain

  • Hospital Sant Joan de Déu

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron

    Barcelona, Spain

  • Hospital Universitario Albacete

    Albacete, Spain

  • Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga

    Málaga, Spain

  • Johns Hopkins University

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287, United States

  • Keck Medicine of USC

    Los Angeles, California, 90033, United States

  • Loma Linda University Health

    Loma Linda, California, 92354, United States

  • Mayo Clinic

    Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

  • Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (Rutgers)

    New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, United States

  • Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington

    Seattle, Washington, 98105, United States

  • Sinai Hospital

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21215, United States

  • Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

    Springfield, Illinois, 62702, United States

  • University Of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84132, United States

  • University of Florida Jacksonville

    Jacksonville, Florida, 32209, United States

  • University of Pennsylvania (Penn Epilepsy)

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

  • University of Rochester

    Rochester, New York, 14642, United States

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    Nashville, Tennessee, 37212, United States

  • Washington University Medical Center

    St Louis, Missouri, 63110, United States

Conditions

Explore the condition pages connected to this study.