Can brain zaps and cycling boost aging minds?
NCT ID NCT07652775
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether combining repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with aerobic exercise can improve thinking skills, mood, and walking ability in older adults who have mild cognitive impairment and depression. Participants, aged 65 to 90, will be randomly assigned to receive rTMS alone, rTMS plus stationary cycling, or a sham treatment plus cycling over 5 weeks. Researchers will measure changes in memory, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, and gait before and after the program and at a one-month follow-up.
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 aerobic exercise
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a drug-free way to improve memory, mood, and mobility in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and depression.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 45 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effects may be modest or not last beyond the study period.
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 45 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
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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65 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: 1. Aged 65 to 90 years. 2. Diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) according to established clinical criteria. 3. Presence of depressive symptoms as determined by clinical assessment and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). 4. Able to communicate and follow study instructions. 5. Able to ambulate independently with or without an assistive device. 6. Able to provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of dementia. 2. History of epilepsy or seizure disorder. 3. Presence of metallic implants, pacemakers, cochlear implants, or other contraindications to transcranial magnetic stimulation. 4. Major neurological disorders, including stroke, Parkinson's disease, traumatic brain injury, or other neurodegenerative diseases. 5. Severe psychiatric disorders other than depression. 6. Severe cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, or medical conditions that preclude participation in aerobic exercise. 7. Severe visual or hearing impairments that interfere with cognitive assessment. 8. Current participation in another intervention study.
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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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Cheng Hsin General Hospital
RECRUITINGTaipei, Taipei City, 112, Taiwan
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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