Can zapping the brain ease stroke fatigue?
NCT ID NCT06810817
First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether transcranial direct current stimulation, a gentle electrical current applied to the scalp, combined with a cognitive behavioural programme can reduce fatigue in people who have had a stroke. The trial enrolls 75 adults who had a stroke at least six months earlier and report significant fatigue. Participants receive either the real stimulation or a sham version, along with the behavioural programme and home-based physical training, over eight weeks. The study measures changes in fatigue, sleep, mood, and daily functioning.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial direct current stimulation combined with a cognitive behavioural programme and home-based physical training
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to reduce fatigue and improve daily life for people recovering from a stroke.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and early, so results may not hold up in larger groups. Brain stimulation can cause mild scalp discomfort, and the programme requires commitment over eight weeks.
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 75 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2024
- 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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50 to 80 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: * diagnosed with stroke at least 6 months ago * Fatigue Assessment Scale score ≥20 * cognitively intact Exclusion Criteria: * Unstable medical conditions leading to fatigue * Under any clinical trials * with any other neurological diseases * history of transient ischemic attack * Contraindications to tDCS
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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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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
RECRUITINGHong Kong, Hong Kong
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