Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Sound waves to the brain could ease long COVID fatigue

NCT ID NCT06178952

Symptom relief Sponsor: Medical University of Vienna 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a device that sends gentle sound pulses to the brain can reduce fatigue, brain fog, and mood problems in people with long COVID. 102 adults who have had COVID-19 at least 12 months ago will receive either real or fake (sham) treatment over five sessions. The main goal is to see if the real treatment improves fatigue more than the placebo.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
transcranial pulse stimulation (a device that sends sound waves to the brain)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug way to reduce fatigue and improve thinking and mood in people with long COVID.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage trial with no prior proof of effectiveness. The sham control means some people may not improve, and benefits may be small or temporary.

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 102 people

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

Started

Jan 2024

Expected to finish

Jan 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

20 to 80 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: * Signed written informed consent * PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, laboratory confirmed antibody detection for SARS-CoV-2, or physician-verified COVID-19 infection * At least 12 months after initial SARS-CoV-2 infection that led to Post-COVID (subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infections are not a reason for exclusion) * Diagnosis of Post-COVID Syndrome or independent suspected diagnosis of Post-COVID Syndrome (Considering that physicians generally hesitate to provide clear-cut Post-COVID diagnoses, a tentative diagnosis by an independent general practitioner or a specialist in a field associated with Post-COVID will suffice for entering this study) * Age: 20-80 * Evidence of a negative pregnancy test if medically adequate Exclusion Criteria: * Clinically relevant realization of pre-COVID diseases with similar symptoms as Post-COVID * MoCA score \<17 (cut-off for dementia) * BDI-II score ≥29 (cut-off for severe depression) * FIS \<10 (cut-off for no fatigue) * Brain implants * Non-MR-compatible metal parts in the body * Metal parts in the head * Use of anticoagulants * Non-MR-compatible claustrophobia * Non-MR-compatible pacemaker * Pregnant and breastfeeding women * Clinically relevant history of surgery on the head, heart, or vessels * Relevant corticosteroid treatments administered within 6 weeks prior to the first application * Tumor of the head if relevant for treatment * Blood clotting disorders * Participation in other studies

Get updates

Get notified about this study

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

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Fatigue long COVID-19 post-COVID-19 disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Fatigue Post-COVID-19 syndrome

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

  • Medical University of Vienna

    RECRUITING

    Vienna, State of Vienna, 1090, Austria

More trials for these conditions

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