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Can a tickle reveal hidden awareness? scientists test brain responses in unresponsive patients

NCT ID NCT06922162

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Anna Estraneo Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Sep 11, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026

Summary

Researchers are investigating whether tickling can briefly change how responsive patients with disorders of consciousness are, compared with plain touch. The study includes 16 adults who have been in a disorder of consciousness for at least 28 days after a severe brain injury. Participants receive tickling and neutral touch on the feet, armpits, ribs, and forehead while researchers record brain activity with EEG and fNIRS and code behavioral responses from video.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
tickling stimulation
What this could lead to
If tickling triggers measurable brain or behavioral responses, it could offer a simple, low-cost way to assess awareness in patients who cannot communicate.
What could go wrong
The study is small and early, so any responses may be subtle or inconsistent. Tickling may not produce reliable signals, and the results may not apply to all patients with consciousness disorders.

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.

Participants

16 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jun 2023

Finished

Jul 2025

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.

Who is studied

All patients with DoC who are consecutively admitted to the participating centers of the study.

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: * Diagnosis of disorders of consciousness (DoC) based on the CRS-R scale; * Age ≥18 years; * Time since the event ≥ 28 days Exclusion Criteria: * Large craniectomy that may interfere with fNIRS recording; Unstable clinical conditions (e.g., respiratory failure, fever, status epilepticus, etc.); * Fractures, paralysis, injuries, or muscular dystrophy that prevent proper stimulation of the aforementioned body parts; * Lack of informed consent from the legal representative.

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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.

Disorders of consciousness

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Coma Science Group - University of Liege

    Liège, Belgium, 4000, Belgium

  • Fondazione Don Gnocchi

    Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, Avellino, 83054, Italy

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