Zapping the Brain's memory network: a new hope for epilepsy?
NCT ID NCT06521437
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study at the University of Chicago is testing whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called TMS can improve memory and reduce seizure-related brain activity in people with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Thirty-four adults with drug-resistant MTLE will receive TMS targeting a brain region connected to the hippocampus, which is key for memory. Researchers will measure changes in memory performance, brain activity, and seizure frequency before and after stimulation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a non-invasive brain stimulation approach to improve memory and reduce seizure activity in epilepsy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early pilot study (34 people) with no randomization or blinding, so results may not be reliable or generalizable. The main goal is to understand brain function, not to test a treatment.
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 34 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
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 years and older
- 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: * Diagnosis of (pharmacoresistant) MTLE * Age 18+ years old * Native English speakers * Normal or corrected-to-normal near and far vision * Stable antiepileptic drugs (AED) regimen (unchanged for at least 1 month) Exclusion criteria: * Diagnosis of neurological illness other than MTLE * Taking drugs that impair cognition other than anticonvulsive medication for the treatment of MTLE (e.g., antipsychotics or psychostimulants). * Children under the age of 18 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
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, 60637, United States
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