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Zapping the brain with gentle electricity may reveal hidden signs of consciousness

NCT ID NCT07699055

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Istanbul Medipol University Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study investigates whether a 20-minute session of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) over the front of the brain can alter brain wave patterns in people with disorders of consciousness, such as unresponsive wakefulness syndrome or minimally conscious state. Participants receive a single session of 40 Hz tACS while their brain activity is recorded with EEG before and after. The goal is to see if the stimulation changes specific brain wave patterns and whether those changes relate to behavioral signs of consciousness.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)
What this could lead to
If successful, this could point toward a way to measure and potentially improve consciousness in patients with severe brain injuries.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage study with only 31 participants. It tests a single session, so any effects may be temporary or not clinically meaningful.

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

31 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Dec 2020

Finished

Sep 2024

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 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: * Adults aged 18 years or older. * Medically stable at the time of assessment. * No administration of sedative or hypnotic medication within the previous 24 hours. * Preserved wakefulness (spontaneous or elicited by stimulation) with reduced or absent awareness, consistent with Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) or Minimally Conscious State (MCS). * Diagnosis confirmed by an experienced neurologist using repeated clinical assessments with the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) and the Simplified Evaluation of CONsciousness Disorders (SECONDs) performed on different days and at different times during periods of wakefulness. Exclusion Criteria: * Acute phase of brain injury (within the first 28 days after injury). * Administration of sedative or hypnotic medication within the previous 24 hours. * Medical instability (e.g., active infection or hemodynamic instability). * Epileptic seizures uncontrolled despite anticonvulsant therapy. * Serious systemic illnesses that could affect the level of consciousness (e.g., sepsis or end-stage organ failure). * Brain death or coma without any evidence of wakefulness. * A previous history of developmental disorders, major neurological disorders, or severe psychiatric disorders associated with significant functional impairment.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Consciousness Disorders

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Disorder of consciousness

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Medipol Mega University Hospital

    Istanbul, Bağcılar, Turkey (Türkiye)

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