Scientists probe whether nerve stimulation works through skin or skull
NCT ID NCT07657260
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study investigates how a gentle electrical current applied to the forehead (trigeminal nerve stimulation) affects the brain and body. Researchers will numb the forehead skin with lidocaine in one session and leave it un-numbed in another, while using fMRI to watch brain activity. By comparing the two sessions, they aim to determine whether the stimulation works by activating nerves in the skin or by passing directly through the skull. The study involves 25 healthy adults aged 18 to 40.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Direct current trigeminal nerve stimulation (DC-eTNS) and topical lidocaine
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could clarify how eTNS affects the brain and body, potentially guiding better treatments for conditions like epilepsy, depression, or chronic pain.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, not patients. The results may not translate to clinical benefits, and the mechanism may remain unclear.
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 25 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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 35 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: 1. Healthy volunteers, aged 18 to 40 years old. 2. Right-handed. 3. Generally healthy with no history of neurological, psychiatric, or severe cardiovascular diseases. 4. Normal physical and neurological examinations. 5. Capable of understanding the study procedures and voluntarily signing the written informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known allergy, hypersensitivity, or adverse reactions to Lidocaine or other amide-type local anesthetics. (Crucial for this specific study design) 2. Contraindications to MRI scanning (e.g., claustrophobia, cardiac pacemakers, artificial cochlea, metallic braces, or any other ferromagnetic implants). 3. Female participants who are pregnant, lactating, or suspect they might be pregnant. 4. Contraindications to transcranial or transcutaneous electrical stimulation (e.g., personal or family history of epilepsy/seizures, implanted brain stimulators). 5. Any active skin disease, inflammation, lesions, cuts, or abrasions on the forehead (specifically over the supraorbital area), which could alter electrical impedance or anesthetic absorption. 6. History of trigeminal neuralgia, facial nerve palsy, or chronic facial pain. Current or recent (within the past month) use of any medications known to affect the central nervous system, autonomic nervous system, or pain perception (e.g., analgesics, antidepressants, beta-blockers, or sedatives). 7. History of substance abuse, heavy smoking, or excessive daily consumption of alcohol or caffeine. 8. Irregular sleep patterns, shift work, or severe sleep deprivation within 24 hours prior to the scanning sessions.
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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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Xidian University
RECRUITINGXi'an, Shaanxi, 71000, China
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