Zapping addiction: brain stimulation shows promise for amphetamine users
NCT ID NCT06165198
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tested a new way to stimulate the brain in people addicted to amphetamines. Nine adults received closed-loop transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), which adjusts the stimulation based on their real-time brain activity. The goal was to improve executive control, measured by a stop-signal task. This early research aims to find better treatments for addiction.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- closed-loop transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a personalized brain-stimulation treatment to help people with amphetamine addiction regain self-control.
- What could go wrong
- This was a very small study with only 9 participants, so results may not apply widely. The approach is still experimental and needs much larger trials to confirm any benefit.
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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9 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2023
- Finished
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Sep 2024
- 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 55 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals aged between 18 and 55 years, irrespective of gender, having completed a minimum of 9 years of education or capable of effectively cooperating in questionnaire and behavioral task evaluations. * Meet the diagnostic criteria set forth by the DSM-5 concerning the severity of amphetamine-type substance addiction. * A history of utilizing amphetamine-type substances for a duration not less than one year, with a frequency of use being at least once per week. * Consent to actively cooperate in the completion of subsequent follow-up assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Severe cognitive functional impairments manifested through a history of head trauma, cerebrovascular diseases, epilepsy, etc., or usage of cognitive enhancement drugs in the past 6 months; an intellectual disability with an IQ score less than 70. * A diagnosis of schizophrenia or other severe mental illnesses as per the DSM-5 criteria. * Abuse or dependence on other psychoactive substances (excluding nicotine) within the past 5 years. * Severe organic diseases that might compromise study participation. * Contraindications to tACS, such as a history of epileptic seizures or the presence of metallic implants in proximity to the head.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shanghai Mental Health Center
Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, 200000, China
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