Can magnetic pulses to the brain reverse Long-COVID smell loss, tinnitus, and fatigue?
NCT ID NCT06865222
First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether a type of magnetic brain stimulation, called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), can improve symptoms of post-COVID syndrome, such as loss of smell, ringing in the ears, and fatigue. About 40 people who have had these symptoms for over a month after a COVID-19 infection will receive daily TMS sessions for two to four weeks. The study measures changes in smell, tinnitus severity, and fatigue to see if the treatment helps.
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) using a variable pulse protocol
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a non-invasive treatment to improve smell, reduce tinnitus, and lessen fatigue in people with post-COVID syndrome.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small early-stage trial, so results may not apply broadly. TMS may cause side effects like headache or discomfort, and the treatment 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
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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
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2025
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Patients who have had a recent episode of COVID-19 and who present to the Post COVID-19 Clinic at Mayo Clinic Rochester with at least one of the PCC symptoms of interest - anosmia, tinnitus, fatigue. Symptoms consistent with PCC lasting at least 1 month after the positive test date. Subjects must have ongoing symptoms for \> 4 weeks following the start of an acute covid infection. This is consistent with the CDC definition for post covid conditions. Start date is determined by date of first positive COVID test. There is no limitation of maximum time from acute infection start. * At least one of the PCC symptoms of interest: * Anosmia: Olfactory Threshold Test scores corresponding to Anosmia or Hyposmia * Tinnitus: \>0 score on Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (not present prior to SARS-COVID 2 infection) * Fatigue: Total Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) Score of 40 or above Exclusion Criteria: * Implanted electronic devices, including pacemakers, defibrillators, implant medication pumps, or vagus nerve stimulators (VNS) * Active alcohol abuse: \>14 drinks a week or formal diagnosis, illicit drug use or drug abuse * Any seizure history within the past 10 years * Intracranial implant within 30 cm of magnet (e.g., aneurysm clips, endovascular coil, cerebral shunts, brain stimulators, cochlear implants, stents, or electrodes) or any other metal object within or near the head, excluding the mouth, which cannot be safely removed * Enrolled or plans to enroll in an interventional trial during this study * Previous stroke with residual deficits * Subjects unable to comprehend or follow verbal commands * Subjects unable to comprehend and sign the informed consent * Based on PI's or local physician's assessment that subject unable to tolerate the trial procedure due to medical condition * Clinical abnormality or clinically unstable medical condition, as indicated by medical history, physical examination, or clinical laboratory testing, that in the Investigator's judgment might pose a potential safety risk to the subject or limit interpretation of the trial results * Pregnant or trying to become pregnant; negative urine pregnancy test at screening will be required for females of childbearing potential * Any condition which in the judgment of the investigator would prevent the subject from completion of the study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Mayo Clinic in Rochester
RECRUITINGRochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
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