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Could a mild electric zap to the head help stroke survivors think clearer?
NCT ID NCT04897334
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a painless brain stimulation technique called tDCS, combined with cognitive therapy, can improve thinking and memory in people who recently had a stroke. About 70 adults who had a stroke within the past month and have trouble thinking will receive either real or fake tDCS while doing mental exercises. Researchers will measure changes in cognitive test scores 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 direct current stimulation (tDCS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to help stroke survivors recover thinking and memory skills.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 70 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The improvement in cognition may be modest or no better than sham stimulation.
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 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2021
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2028
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 90 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: * Stroke that occurred within 4 weeks of the study * Presence of cognitive impairment attributable to stroke * Between the ages of 18 and 90 * Able to understand the nature of the study and give informed consent * Able to follow simple commands as evidenced by NIHSS subtest 1C =0 Exclusion Criteria * History of chronic, serious, or unstable neurologic illness other than stroke * Current unstable medical illness(es) * History of reoccurring seizures or epilepsy * Current abuse of alcohol or drugs (prescription or otherwise) * Active and severe psychiatric disorder * Metallic objects in the face or head other than dental apparatus such as braces, fillings, and implants. * Pregnancy
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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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Penn Medicine Rehabilitation
RECRUITINGPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146, United States
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- Can a smart bracelet and app stop a second stroke?