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Can a brain zap and computer game sharpen aging minds?

NCT ID NCT05198726

Symptom relief Sponsor: Portucalense University 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
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tested whether combining a computer-based speed-of-processing training with a gentle electrical brain stimulation (alpha-tACS) could improve how quickly people with mild cognitive impairment process visual information. The trial planned to enroll 40 adults aged 65 and older, comparing the active stimulation plus training to a sham (placebo) stimulation plus training. The study was terminated early, so results are limited, but the goal was to see if this combination could boost thinking speed and potentially help with memory and other mental skills.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
alpha-tACS (a mild electrical brain stimulation device) and speed-of-processing training (a computer-based mental exercise)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-drug way to slow or improve thinking speed and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment.
What could go wrong
This was a small, early-stage trial that was terminated, so results are limited. The approach may not produce lasting or meaningful benefits, and brain stimulation can cause mild side effects like tingling or headache.

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

40 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2022

Finished

Sep 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

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: * Community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older, with cognitive complains in memory or other functions, which have declined over time Exclusion Criteria: * Score in the mini mental examination less than 23 (or over 28); * Diagnosis of Alzheimer´s Disease, any other medical condition that may predispose participants for a forthcoming decline in function, or that may increase their risk of mortality during the duration of the study. * Any contra-indication to tACS, severe sensory losses or communication difficulties that will prevent them from successfully complete the training. * Had any cognitive training in the past.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cognitive disorder Cognitive Dysfunction persistent truncus arteriosus

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Cognitive dysfunction Cognitive training Mild cognitive impairment TACS

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Portucalense University

    Porto, 4200 - 072, Portugal

More trials for these conditions

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