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Could a gentle brain zap quiet voices in schizophrenia?

NCT ID NCT06155695

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Brian A Coffman, PhD 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
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 Results may not be published yet.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 This study
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This small, early study tested a new approach called Auditory Control Enhancement (ACE) for people with schizophrenia who hear voices (auditory hallucinations) that don't respond to medication. ACE combines a mild brain stimulation technique called tDCS with cognitive training. The study aimed to see if the method is safe, acceptable, and whether it changes brain activity in areas linked to hearing and attention. Only 12 people were enrolled, and the study was terminated early, so the results are very preliminary.

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)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new, noninvasive treatment for auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, early feasibility study (12 people) that was terminated, so results are limited. It is not yet known if the approach is effective or safe for wider use.

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

12 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2023

Finished

Dec 2024

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 40 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: * Between the ages of 18-40 * Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizophreniform Disorder, Psychosis not otherwise specified (NOS), Affective Psychosis with mood incongruent hallucinations. * ability to provide informed consent * Intelligence quotient (IQ) \>= 70, as measured by the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) * \<5 years since the onset of first psychotic episode * persistent auditory hallucinations without remission despite attempting \>2 antipsychotic medications and having \> 1 month of medication compliance Exclusion Criteria: * hearing deficit as assessed by audiometry (hearing threshold \> 30 decibels (dB) nHL) * standard MRI contraindications (e.g. cardiac pacemaker, aneurysm clip, cochlear implants, history of metal fragments in body, neurostimulators, weight of 300 lbs. or more, or claustrophobia) * \[self report\] head injury with loss of conscious \> 10 min, medical illness affecting brain function or structure, significant neurologic disorder (e.g. seizure disorder), * Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) substance use disorder - other than cannabis - and except individuals who have met at least early remission criteria (3 months without dependence symptoms) or a psychotic illness with a temporal relation to a substance use disorder * currently pregnant or early postpartum (\<6 weeks after delivery or miscarriage) * currently taking medications that affect alertness, other than antipsychotic medication (e.g. sedatives, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, and sleeping aids)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Hallucinations psychotic disorder schizoaffective disorder schizophrenia schizophreniform disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Auditory hallucinations

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Western Psychiatric Hospital of UPMC

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

More trials for these conditions

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