Brain zaps tailored to you may boost hand control in aging
NCT ID NCT06561165
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS can improve hand movement in healthy older adults. Forty right-handed participants will receive either standard or personalized stimulation, plus brain scans. The goal is to see if customizing the stimulation to each person's brain network leads to better hand dexterity.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- High-density transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a non-invasive way to improve hand function in older adults, potentially aiding independence.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy people, so results may not apply to those with movement disorders. The improvement may be small or 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
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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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2027
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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65 to 85 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: * Participants should be in good health with normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity * Right handed * No history of neurological disorder * English speaker * Able to provide written consent prior to admission Exclusion Criteria: * Left-handed * Participants are pregnant, suspect pregnancy or are attempting to become pregnant * Have a pacemaker, intracardiac lines or any other medically implanted device or medicine pump * Have cochlear hearing implants * Taking drugs known to influence neural receptors that facilitate neuroplasticity (see protocol) * Have non removable body piercings or have foreign objects in body * Have metal anywhere in the head that could increase risk of serious injury (not including braces, dental fillings, etc.) (see protocol) * Have a personal or family history of seizure/epilepsy * Taking prescription drugs that lower the threshold for seizures * Recent history of excessive alcohol consumption * History of alcohol addiction/dependence * Recent history of recreational drug use * History of drug addiction/dependence * Recent history of recreational drug use * History of drug addiction/dependence * Diagnosed with a stroke, brain hemorrhage, brain tumor, encephalitis. * Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis * Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease * Diagnosed with depression in the past 6 months * Diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, manic depressive (bipolar) disorder * Diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus or increased intra-cranial pressure * Diabetes requiring insulin treatment * Any serious heart disorder or liver disease
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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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University of Michigan
RECRUITINGAnn Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
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