Zapping the brain may help memory in mild cognitive impairment
NCT ID NCT05564715
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study tested whether a gentle brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS could improve memory and word recall in 27 older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Participants received either real or sham stimulation over 10 sessions across two weeks. The goal was to see if targeting a specific brain region could help with episodic memory and word retrieval.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug treatment to ease memory problems in people with mild cognitive impairment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (27 people) with no phase, so results may not be reliable or apply to everyone. The effect 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
-
27 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
May 2023
- Finished
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Jun 2025
- 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 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
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: Active diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment, Female and male subjects, All races/ethnicities, Age 55 years and older, Fluent in English, Exclusion Criteria: Lifetime history of major neurologic syndromes (e.g., epilepsy, brain tumor, etc), Substance use disorder within the past year, Has metal fragments in skull/head, Current vision or hearing impairment that interferes with testing, Current medication use known to alter HD-tDCS reactivity
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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
-
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States
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