Could zapping the brain curb gambling addiction?
NCT ID NCT07228182
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether high-intensity brain stimulation (HI-tACS) can help people with gambling disorder. Researchers will give 60 adults either real or fake stimulation to see if it reduces gambling urges and improves thinking. Participants are followed for three months to check lasting effects.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- High-intensity transcranial alternating current stimulation (HI-tACS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-drug treatment for gambling disorder by improving brain function.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early study with only 60 people, so results may not apply widely. The stimulation may cause discomfort or not reduce gambling symptoms.
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 60 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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Dec 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 60 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: * Aged 18-60, male or female, with 9 or more years of education, and able to complete questionnaire evaluation and behavioral tests; * Meet DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders,DSM) diagnostic criteria for gambling disorder; * Have gambled for at least one year (at least once a week); * Normal vision and hearing, or within the normal range after correction; * Agree to cooperate in the follow-up evaluation; * No metal implantation in the head, no history of nerve problems or head injury, and no skin sensitivity. Exclusion Criteria: * Have severe cognitive impairment, such as a history of head trauma, -cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, etc.; * Have used drugs promoting cognitive function in the last 6 months; * Have impaired intelligence (Intelligence Quotient\<70); * Abuse or dependence of psychoactive substances (except nicotine) in the last 5 years.
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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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Shanghai Mental Health Center
RECRUITINGShanghai, China
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