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Brain zaps before naps may sharpen aging minds

NCT ID NCT06938672

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Northumbria University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a 20-minute session of gentle brain stimulation (tDCS) before an afternoon nap could improve sleep patterns linked to memory and thinking in healthy adults aged 60 and older. Twelve participants completed computer tasks, received either real or fake tDCS, and took a monitored nap. Researchers measured sleep brain activity and cognitive performance to see if the stimulation made a difference.

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 (tDCS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a simple, non-invasive way to boost memory and thinking in older adults by improving nap sleep.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early study with only 12 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The effects of tDCS on sleep and cognition are still uncertain.

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

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

12 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Jul 2025

Finished

May 2026

Lead sponsor

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

60 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * Aged 60+ years * Speak fluent English * Be cognitively healthy * A self-reported good sleeper, with a regular sleep pattern Exclusion Criteria: * The presence of any major physical or psychiatric illness or comorbidities * Self-reported neurodegenerative dementia or other neurological disorders * Self-reported relevant sleep disorders or disturbances * Those with irregular sleep schedules (i.e. night shift workers) * A PSQI score above 5 (as this is associated with significant sleep disturbance) * Relevant skin allergies * Taking medication that affects the central nervous system or sleep, or consume caffeine, alcohol or cigarettes excessively * Metallic or electronic implants

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cognitive disorder sleep disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cognition Healthy aging Sleep

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Northumbria University

    Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, United Kingdom

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.