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Brain zaps may steady shaky steps in seniors

NCT ID NCT06008431

Symptom relief Sponsor: Hebrew SeniorLife Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called tDCS could improve walking steadiness in 27 older adults at risk of falling. Participants received both real and sham stimulation while their gait and brain activity were measured. The goal was to see if targeting specific brain networks could reduce the variability in their stride, which is a known predictor of falls.

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)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a safe, non-drug way to improve walking stability and reduce falls in older adults.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, early-stage study (27 people) with no long-term follow-up. The results may not apply to everyone, and the effect may be too small to matter in daily life.

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

Jun 2024

Finished

Nov 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

65 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * Aged 65 and above. * Ability to speak and read English. * Ability to walk independently and continuously for at least 1 minute. * Elevated gait variability as defined by a coefficient of variation (CoV) about average stride time larger and equal to 0.025 during straight-line walking at preferred speed. Exclusion Criteria: * More than mild cognitive impairment defined by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score less than 18. * Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, stroke, active brain tumor, or other neurological disorders. * Self-reported pain or lower extremity deformity that significantly disrupts walking. * Contraindications to MRI or tDCS. * An episode of acute illness or exacerbation of a diagnosis that requires hospitalization or active treatment within the past 3 months. * Current treatment for congestive heart failure, angina, uncontrolled arrythmia, deep vein thrombosis, or other uncontrolled cardiovascular events. * Myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass grafting, angioplasty, or other cardiac conditions within the past 3 months, * Active cancer for which chemo/radiation therapy is being received. * Psychiatric co-morbidity including major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, psychosis, or other psychiatric illness. * Recent use of any sedating medications (sedatives, anti-psychotics, hypnotics, anti-depressants) or change in medication within the previous month. * Chronic vertigo or other diagnosed vestibular disorders. * Legal blindness, visual impairments that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery. * Those without WiFi access * Those who do not plan to live in their current homes for the duration of the study

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Gait Disorders, Neurologic Mobility Limitation

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

FALL Gait, unsteady Mobility limitation

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02131, United States

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