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Brain zapping for ADHD: new study tests best dose

NCT ID NCT04175041

Symptom relief Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital 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 This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 tests whether a mild electrical current applied to the scalp (tDCS) can boost attention and working memory in adults with ADHD. Researchers will vary the strength and duration of the stimulation to find the best dose. 104 participants will complete attention tasks while their brain activity is measured.

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 non-drug option to help adults with ADHD focus better.
What could go wrong
This is an early dose-response study, not a treatment trial. The effects may be small or not last, and tDCS can cause mild scalp discomfort.

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

About 104 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Jul 2019

Expected to finish

May 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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

18 to 55 years

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 (Patients) 1. Male and female outpatients 18-55 years of age 2. A diagnosis of ADD/ADHD or meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. 3. Patient will be either off stimulant medications or, if undergoing treatment with stimulants, will be asked to discontinue two days prior to the experiment, under physician-guided protocol, and allowed to resume afterwards. Subjects may resume stimulant use between the two study visits so long as they discontinue use two days prior to the second study visit. If fatigue is problematic in subjects discontinuing medication, they will be allowed to continue with the study if they are able to follow the suggested taper plan (50% of the dose day one, 25% dose day 2, stop day of visit (day 3)). 4. If on non-stimulant medications, dose must have been stable for at least 4 weeks. Exclusion Criteria (Patients) 1. Contraindication to tDCS: history or epilepsy, metallic implants in the head and neck, brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, VP shunt, pacemakers, pregnancy. 2. Active substance dependence (except for tobacco). 3. Pregnant or nursing females. 4. Inability to participate in testing procedures. Inclusion Criteria (Healthy Control) 1\. Male and female outpatients 18-55 years of age Exclusion Criteria (Healthy Control) 1. Diagnosis of psychiatric of neurological disorder 2. Ongoing treatment with any psychotropic medications. 3. Contraindication to tDCS: history or epilepsy, metallic implants in the head and neck, brain stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, VP shunt, pacemakers, pregnancy. 4. Active substance dependence (except for tobacco). 5. Pregnant or nursing females. 6. Inability to participate in testing procedures.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, inattentive type attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Massachusetts General Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02129, United States

More trials for these conditions

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