Can a sugar pill help stroke patients? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT05832567
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 15, 2026 · Updated 3 times
Summary
This study looks at whether placebos—given openly or hidden—can change brain activity and improve movement in people who had a stroke at least six months ago. Researchers will use brain scans and motor tests to measure effects. The goal is to understand how placebos work in the brain, not to test a new treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and placebo pill
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could reveal how placebos work in the brain after a stroke, potentially leading to better rehabilitation strategies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on understanding mechanisms, not testing a treatment. Results may not lead to direct clinical benefits.
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 56 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2023
- 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 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: 1. Adults with hemiparesis due to chronic stroke 2. Stroke duration of 6 months or more 3. Fugl-Meyer scale upper extremity motor assessment score of \> 11 and ≤ 56 4. Pre-stroke disability (defined as a score of \< 3 on the Modified Rankin Scale) 5. Age 18 or older Exclusion Criteria: 1. Stroke of anterior cerebral artery territory with prefrontal lesion and stroke-related decreased EEG power in the prefrontal cortex 2. Unable to understand instructions 3. TMS contraindications: electronic hardware in close contact to the discharging coil such as cochlear implant, internal pulse generator or medical pump 4. Concurrent unstable medical conditions 5. A score of 24 or higher on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) 6. Joint or paretic extremity pain likely to interfere with assessments 7. Pregnancy
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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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Spaulding Hospital Cambridge
RECRUITINGCambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a checklist and heart monitor stop repeat strokes?
- Heart hole or stroke trigger? global registry tracks who gets closure and what happens next
- Zapping the spine while wearing a robotic ankle: a new way to help kids walk?
- Can dance improve balance after hemiparesis?
- Can a nurse and a neighbor help tame chronic disease?
- Can PET scans reveal hidden heart inflammation after a stroke?