Can a gentle brain current make teen musicians play better?
NCT ID NCT07826923
First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can affect musical performance in instrumentalists and singers aged 12 to 16. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either active stimulation or a sham (inactive) version. They perform a learned piece before, right after, and two hours after stimulation, while blinded expert raters score technical, expressive, and stage aspects. The study also tracks safety and tolerability.
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 technique
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a safe way to help young musicians perform better under pressure, or inform how brain stimulation affects skilled movement and expression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 30 participants and a single stimulation session. Any performance changes may be temporary, may not translate to real-world playing, and the procedure can cause mild scalp tingling, itching, or headache.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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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12 to 16 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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: * Age 12 to 16 years, inclusive, at the time of enrollment. * Regular participation in instrumental or vocal music training for at least 12 months. * Ability to safely perform a previously learned musical piece or excerpt lasting approximately 1 to 2 minutes. * General health status compatible with participation, confirmed through a pre-session safety screening. * No known neurological or clinical condition considered to increase the risk associated with stimulation. * No current use of medication or substances considered by the study team to substantially alter cortical excitability or increase procedural risk. * Written informed consent from a legal guardian. * Written assent from the adolescent and voluntary willingness to participate. Exclusion Criteria: * History of epilepsy or non-febrile seizures. * Relevant brain injury, previous cranial surgery, or other neurological condition considered incompatible with the protocol. * Pacemaker, implanted electronic device, neurostimulator, or cranial metallic implant that could pose a risk or interfere with stimulation. * Current use of anticonvulsant medication or other medication considered by the study team to represent a contraindication or unacceptable precaution. * Previous experience with tDCS when such experience could compromise blinding. * Dermatitis, wounds, infection, burns, significant pain, or other scalp abnormalities at the planned electrode sites. * Known or suspected pregnancy, as a precaution; pregnancy testing will not be performed as part of the study. * Acute illness or relevant symptoms on the day of the session, including fever, significant headache, persistent dizziness, or relevant sleep deprivation, when these findings justify postponement or exclusion for safety reasons.
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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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Orquestra Maré do Amanhã
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21042-432, Brazil
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