Can brain training rewire the MS brain? study probes cognitive decline
NCT ID NCT04806568
First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026
Summary
Researchers are testing whether a 12-week computerized cognitive training program can improve thinking and change brain activity in people with multiple sclerosis. The study enrolls 180 adults with MS who have mild to moderate disability. Participants train for one hour a day, three days a week, using a tablet-based program that targets speed, attention, working memory, and executive function. The researchers measure changes in brain electrical activity and connectivity using EEG, along with tests of thinking and daily function.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- computerized cognitive training (BrainHQ)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to help people with multiple sclerosis manage thinking problems and guide how brain training is designed.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and measures brain activity changes, not whether thinking improves in daily life. Brain training may not produce lasting benefits, and participants must commit to an hour of training three days a week for 12 weeks.
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 180 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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
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18 to 65 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 for people with MS: * Male/female patients aged 18 to 65 years at screening * Diagnosis of MS according to the 2017 Revised McDonald criteria * Disability status at screening with an EDSS score of 0 to 6.5 * Relapsing MS and progressive MS as defined by Lublin * Neurologically stable within 1 month prior to screening * Patients receiving the same Disease Modifying Treatment (DMT) for at least 6 months Exclusion Criteria for people with MS: * Patients suspected of not being able or willing to cooperate or comply with study protocol requirements * Patients meeting criteria for other demyelinating diseases of the CNS * Patients with active chronic disease (or stable but treated with immune therapy) of the immune system other than MS * Patients with any other significant CNS disease or serious psychiatric disorder which can interfere with the patient's ability to cooperate or comply with the study procedure * Patients unable or unwilling to undergo MRI scans and EEG Inclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls: • Normal hearing and normal or corrected-to-normal vision Exclusion Criteria for Healthy Controls: * Any diagnosed neurological, mental, developmental, or psychiatric disorder * Unrecovered neurological disorders (i.e., stroke, traumatic brain injury) * Unstable medication within the last 3 months * Intake of central nervous drugs (e.g., antidepressants) * Severe physical disorder * Concurrent participation in another relevant study * Patients unable or unwilling to undergo EEG measurements
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Laboratory of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation, AUTH
Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, 54124, Greece
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