Zapping the brain to unstiffen stroke-affected arms?
NCT ID NCT05479006
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a precise form of brain stimulation called targeted high-definition tDCS can reduce arm stiffness and improve movement in 30 people who have had a stroke. The treatment aims to calm overactive brain pathways and boost damaged ones. Participants will receive different types of stimulation to see which works best.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- targeted high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (THD-tDCS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive way to improve arm movement and reduce stiffness after stroke.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early-stage study with only 30 participants. It is testing brain activity changes, not yet proven to improve daily function. Results may not apply to all stroke survivors.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2022
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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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18 to 90 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: * Paresis confined to one side, with substantial motor impairment of the paretic upper limb * Capacity to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Muscle tone abnormalities and motor or sensory impairment in the non-paretic limb * Severe wasting or contracture or significant sensory deficits in the paretic upper limb * Severe cognitive or affective dysfunction that prevents normal communication and understanding of consent or instruction * Severe concurrent medical problems (e.g. cardiorespiratory impairment) * Using a pacemaker * Metal implants in the head * Known adverse reactions to TMS and tDCS * Pregnant
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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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Carle Foundation Hospital
RECRUITINGUrbana, Illinois, 61801, United States
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