Den här översättningen är inte klar ännu. Den här sidan är just nu på engelska.

Gå till den engelska sidan

Can a gentle brain zapping boost memory and mood in early dementia?

NCT ID NCT06668610

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 non-invasive brain stimulation technique called tDCS, combined with cognitive training, can improve thinking skills and mood in people with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Fifty participants will receive both real and placebo stimulation in two separate treatment cycles. Researchers will also look at whether education level or brain activity patterns predict who benefits most.

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) — a non-invasive brain stimulation device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a safe, drug-free way to ease memory loss and depression in early dementia and mild cognitive impairment.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage crossover trial with only 50 participants. The placebo effect is strong in brain stimulation studies, and results may not apply to 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

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 50 people

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

Started

Oct 2024

Expected to finish

Oct 2026

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

55 to 85 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: * age between 55 and 85 years; * diagnosis of minor neurocognitive disorder, or major neurocognitive disorder with mild severity, according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; APA 2013) with a Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) of .05 or 1 (Morris, 1993); * right handedness. Exclusion Criteria: * brain events with an acute aetiology (stroke, traumatic brain injury, neoplastic ablation); * psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder) and assumption of psychotropic drugs; * diagnosis of moderate or severe major neurocognitive disorders (DSM-5; APA 2013) with CDR scores equal or above 2 (Morris, 1993); * any condition with may also hypothetically interfere with electrophysiological recording and neurostimulation (metallic implants in the brain, cochlear implant, pacemakers, or suffering from epilepsy) (Antal et al., 2017; Bikson et al., 2016).

Get updates

Get notified about this study

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

Vår säkerhetsrekommendation!

Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor

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.

  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

  • Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"

    RECRUITING

    Caserta, Italy, 81100, Italy

More trials for these conditions

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