Zapping the brain to fix foggy thinking after concussion
NCT ID NCT07246993
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Sep 02, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether combining a gentle brain stimulation technique called tDCS with computer-based cognitive training can improve thinking and memory in people still having symptoms 3 to 12 months after a mild concussion. Thirty adults will receive 10 sessions over about 3 weeks. Half will get real stimulation and half a sham (fake) version to see if the real treatment makes 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) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to improve thinking and memory for people with long-lasting concussion symptoms.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 30 participants. It tests a device and training, not a drug, so results may be modest or not apply to everyone.
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 30 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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Jan 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 65 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: * Age 18-65 * Has sustained a single mTBI 3-12 months prior to enrollment * Meets criteria for PPCS (assessed using the CP Screen) * Has reliable access to a smartphone Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide informed consent or complete study procedures * History of moderate/severe TBI * Significant neurological or psychiatric disorders (other than PPCS-related symptoms like mild depression/anxiety) * Substance dependence within the last six months * Contraindications to tDCS (e.g., implanted metal, skin lesions on scalp)
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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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University of Minnesota
RECRUITINGMinneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Rewiring the veteran brain: could visual training counteract cognitive decline?
- Eye-Tracking goggles could spot hidden brain injuries
- Can tailored magnetic pulses quiet a concussed brain?
- Could a smartphone app help teens recover from concussion?
- New study aims to predict concussion recovery in children using symptoms and biology