Could a night of soft sounds sharpen the epileptic brain?
NCT ID NCT05794295
First seen Aug 07, 2026 · Last updated Aug 07, 2026
Summary
This study explores whether playing gentle sounds during sleep can improve memory and alertness in people with focal epilepsy. Participants will have their sleep monitored at home and during two overnight lab visits, with cognitive tests before and after sleep. One night will include acoustic stimulation, while the other will not, to compare effects. The goal is to see if this simple, non-invasive approach can enhance sleep-related cognitive functions.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Acoustic stimulation (playing gentle sounds during sleep)
- What this could lead to
- If gentle sounds during sleep improve memory and daytime alertness, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to help people with focal epilepsy think more clearly.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study, so results may not apply to everyone. The sounds might not improve sleep or thinking, and the effects could vary widely between individuals.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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 to 40 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 - 40 years of age * Focal Epilepsy * Capacity to fully cooperate and follow directions * no other significant neurological disorders which could affect cognition Exclusion Criteria: * Current use of any medications that can significantly affect cognition * No severe sleep apnea
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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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UC Davis
RECRUITINGSacramento, California, 95817, United States
More trials for these conditions
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- New brain sensor aims to stop seizures in Drug-Resistant epilepsy
- New pill aims to curb focal seizures in adults
- Virtual tours may help spare memory in epilepsy surgery
- New epilepsy drug RAP-219 enters final testing phase