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Brain zaps may boost mobility in the visually impaired

NCT ID NCT07341763

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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jul 08, 2026 · Updated 6 times

Summary

This pilot study tests whether a gentle, non-invasive electrical current applied to the brain can improve how people with tunnel vision (from retinitis pigmentosa, rod-cone dystrophy, or advanced glaucoma) navigate obstacles. Twenty adults will receive both real and sham stimulation in random order, then walk an obstacle course to measure speed and detection distance. The goal is to see if this technique offers a short-term boost in orientation and mobility, informing a larger future trial.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
non-invasive brain stimulation (high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation, hf-tRNS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new way to help people with vision loss move around more safely and confidently.
What could go wrong
This is a very small pilot study (20 people) testing only short-term effects. It may not show meaningful improvement, and any benefits might not last.

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 20 people

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

Expected to start

Jul 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

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

18 years and older

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: * Are healthy, capacitated adults with binocular constricted visual field loss (due to either retinitis pigmentosa (RP), rod-cone dystrophy, or advanced glaucoma) resulting in functional vision losses. These individuals with visual impairments can be those who have been previously trained by an Orientation and Mobility (O\&M) specialist to independently travel with the long white cane daily (since the length of the white cane and tip at the base are based on personal preference, they should be willing to use their own white cane for the study), and those who do not necessarily use a cane for travelling. * Have binocular visual acuity or best corrected binocular visual acuity no worse than 6/12 or 20/40 or +0.30 logMAR (inclusive) with no eccentric viewing and binocular visual fields no better than 50 degrees in total in each eye as given by the Humphrey Field analyzer and no better than 50 degrees binocularly as given by arc perimeter test. The Humphrey Field Analyzer measures static visual field test, whereas the Arc perimeter test measures kinetic visual field test. Measuring kinetic and static visual field would promote a greater understanding of the individual's daily performance. * Are over the age of 18 (inclusive) and has full legal capacity to provide informed consent. * Have read and fully comprehends the information in the consent letter. * Are willing and capable of adhering to instructions and maintaining the outlined appointment schedule. Exclusion Criteria: * Are involved in other recent eye-related studies, either clinical or research-related. To be eligible they would have to wait at least one week for studies not involving brain stimulation, and four weeks for studies in which they receive brain stimulation before they could participate in this study. * Have been diagnosed with dementia or self-reported dementia with no formal diagnosis. * Have been diagnosed with a cognitive impairment or self-reported cognitive impairment with no formal diagnosis. * Have been diagnosed with physical or motor impairments resulting in walking and/or balancing issues or self-reported physical or motor impairments resulting in walking and/or balancing issues with no formal diagnosis. * Have been diagnosed with vestibular disorders or dysfunctions which affects one's balance and/or mobility or self-reported vestibular disorders or dysfunctions which affects one's balance and/or mobility with no formal diagnosis. * Are unable to follow the researcher's instructions. * Are anticipating treatment (including ocular surgery) for any eye disease within the duration of the study. * Have any ocular pathology in addition to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), rod-cone dystrophy, or advanced glaucoma, which can diminish their visual acuity and/or their visual field, however wearing glasses or contact lenses, as well as mild cataract of grade 2 or below is acceptable. * Have severe hearing impairment. * Are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. * Fit any of the typical contraindicators for brain stimulation. See contraindicator section below. For all participants the contraindications for brain stimulation are: * Diagnosed with epilepsy or have previously experienced an epileptic seizure. * Implanted medication pump or implanted electronic device, including defibrillator or pacemaker. * Any metal implants in the head (excluding tooth fillings). * Active electric implants anywhere in the body (especially the head region). * On psychoactive medication for any psychiatric or neurological conditions including but not limited to depression and schizophrenia. * Areas of sensitive skin located on the face or head, or a skin condition on the face, or regularly use medication to alleviate skin irritation on the face. * Recurring headaches. * Previous head injury or skull fracture or head/brain surgery. * Heart disease, neurological condition, or a history of cardiac or neurological surgery. * Current or historical cancerous or noncancerous brain tumor, or other abnormalities in brain structure.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cone-rod dystrophy glaucoma Mobility Limitation Orientation, Spatial retinitis pigmentosa Vision, Low

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

  • University of Waterloo, School of Optometry and Vision Science

    RECRUITING

    Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada

More trials for these conditions

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