Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Could a gentle brain zap help stroke survivors think clearly again?

NCT ID NCT05195398

Symptom relief Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 11, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether a gentle electrical current applied to the scalp (tDCS) combined with computer-based cognitive training can improve memory, attention, and thinking in people who had a mild stroke. About 60 participants will receive either real tDCS or a sham (fake) version, plus computer training, for 5 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in cognitive tests and brain activity before and after treatment.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to help stroke survivors recover thinking and memory skills.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 60 people. The improvement may be small or not last long, and not everyone may benefit.

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 60 people

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

Started

Sep 2022

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

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 100 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: 1. Adults (≥18 years) presenting with neurological symptoms due to acute ischemic stroke (symptom onset within the week prior to admission). 2. Evidence on brain MRI of acute ischemic stroke (imaging negative strokes and TIAs will be excluded). 3. Native English speaker (by self-report) prior to stroke. 4. NIHSS \<8 at initial follow-up visit (approximately 30 days post-stroke). 5. mRS 0-2 at initial follow-up visit. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Primary intracerebral hemorrhage- as evidenced by blood on head CT or MRI. 2. Presence of proximal large vessel occlusion. 3. Cortical exam findings including aphasia or neglect. 4. Prior report or history of dementia or undertreated psychiatric illness. 5. Uncorrected hearing or visual loss. 6. Inability to attend treatment or follow-up sessions. 7. Inability to travel to College Park (UMD) for MEG recording sessions. 8. Presence of any of the following that would lead to significant artifact on MEG: cardiac pacemaker, intracranial clips, metal implants or external clips within 10mm of the head, metal implants in the eyes (unlikely given that all patients will have an MRI and criteria are similar). 9. Claustrophobia, obesity, and/or any other reason leading to difficulty staying in the MEG machine for up to 1 hour.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Acute ischemic stroke are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Cognitive Dysfunction ischemic stroke stroke disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cognitive impairment Stroke Stroke sequelae

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

  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

    RECRUITING

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States

More trials for these conditions

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