At-Home brain zaps and games aim to sharpen aging minds
NCT ID NCT07517237
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether using a gentle nerve-stimulating device on the ear, combined with computer-based brain training, can improve thinking skills and mood in adults aged 45 to 80 who have noticed changes in their memory or attention. Participants will do 10 sessions at home and complete thinking tests, mood surveys, and brain scans before and after treatment. The goal is to see if this approach is practical and acceptable for home use.
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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 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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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45 to 80 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 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: i. Ages 45-80 (inclusive) ii. Adequate sensorimotor function (including motor function of dominant hand to complete CCT) and verbal expressive abilities to complete all assessments. iii. Access to reliable Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone or tablet with internet connection capable of supporting study procedures. iv. Self-reported change in cognitive functioning (e.g., memory, attention, thinking abilities) compared to prior functioning, persisting ≥ 6 months and associated with concern and/or impact on daily functioning. v. Is on fixed pharmacotherapy (i.e. stable dose of medication/s) for ≥ 4 weeks before enrollment, and expected to remain stable throughout study participation. This includes, but is not limited to, cholinesterase inhibitors, NMDA receptor antagonists, and antidepressants. Exclusion Criteria: i. Prior diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (NIA-AA) or Mild or Major Neurocognitive Disorder (DSM-5). ii. taVNS contraindications (e.g., history of seizures, history of trauma or damage to ear, reduced/impaired sensation in the ear). iii. MRI contraindications (e.g., ferromagnetic implants, claustrophobia). iv. Presence of a neurological, medical, or psychiatric condition that is acute, unstable, or severe, and that, in the judgment of the study investigators, would significantly interfere with safe participation, valid assessment of cognition or mood, or interpretation of study outcomes. v. Enrolled in a clinical trial or has received an investigational medication or device in the last 30 days that may impact cognition or mood. vi. For female participants, a positive pregnancy test if still menstruating within the past 12 months.
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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.
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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Medical University of South Carolina
RECRUITINGCharleston, South Carolina, 29425, United States
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