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Brain stimulation plus physical therapy: a new hope for FND walking problems?

NCT ID NCT07769970

Disease control Sponsor: University of Auckland, New Zealand Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Aug 18, 2026 · Last updated Aug 19, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This trial tests whether combining brain stimulation with physical therapy can improve walking in adults with functional neurological disorder (FND), a condition where the brain's movement signals are disrupted. Participants receive either TMS-enhanced physical therapy or standard physical therapy over three days, with follow-up assessments up to 90 days later. The main goal is to see if more people in the TMS group achieve a meaningful improvement in balance and gait.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) followed by specialist physical therapy
What this could lead to
If effective, this approach could offer a new, non-invasive treatment to help people with FND regain walking independence.
What could go wrong
This is a single-site trial with 60 participants, so results may not apply broadly. TMS may cause discomfort or side effects, and the therapy may not work for everyone.

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.

Expected to start

Nov 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Apr 2030

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

21 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: * Clinically established diagnosis of FND or an equivalent term * Investigations are accepted as complete by the patient and treating physician * Walking difficulty that prevents crossing the road unaided at a traffic light pedestrian crossing * Lower limb functional weakness * 30 days or more since first onset of functional motor symptoms * Tinetti POMA score \< 21/28 Exclusion Criteria: * Age \< 21 years * Living with a parent or guardian who provides primary emotional support and assistance with most daily tasks * Medical instability precluding safe participation in physical therapy * Cognitive or communication impairment precluding informed consent or the ability to effectively engage in education aspects of the trial with family support * Untreated and severe psychiatric illness affecting the ability to safely participate * Co-existing non-FND neurological or musculoskeletal impairments restricting walking independence * A primary diagnosis of chronic pain or chronic fatigue syndrome * Pain significantly limiting standing or walking * Prior treatment for FND that included Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) * Contraindicated to TMS as determined using a standard safety screening checklist

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Asthenia conversion disorder palsy

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Conversion disorder Functional neurological disorder

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

  • Clinical Research Centre, Grafton Campus, University of Auckland

    Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

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