Zapping the brain to sharpen focus: a new hope for adult ADHD?
NCT ID NCT07652788
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether a gentle, non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can reduce inattention in adults with ADHD. Forty adults with ADHD will receive either real or fake tDCS for five days in a row. Researchers will measure changes in attention and processing speed using questionnaires and thinking tests.
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 offer a non-drug option to help adults with ADHD manage inattention symptoms.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 40 participants. The effect may be small or not last, and tDCS may 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
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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.
- Expected to start
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Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Feb 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 60 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: * Adult patient aged 18 to 60 years inclusive * Patient diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), combined or predominantly inattentive presentation, previously established by a healthcare professional * Patients must be registered in the active caseload of the Adult Neurodevelopmental Disorders Unit (STNDA) * Stable psychotropic medication regimen for at least four weeks prior to inclusion, in terms of both molecule and dosage, particularly for methylphenidate, or no current psychotropic treatment. Medication must remain unchanged throughout study participation, unless medically justified changes are required * Patient with a cognitive status deemed sufficient by the unit's referring psychiatrist to ensure appropriate completion of the scales and tests included in the protocol * Free, informed, and written consent Exclusion Criteria: •General condition impairment (severe fatigue or marked weakness, convalescence after an acute illness or surgery, or recent alcohol consumption) Psychiatric and neurological disorders * Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) * Diagnosis of personality disorder (Cluster A, B, C, or other), according to DSM-5-TR * Diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder or other psychotic disorders according to DSM-5-TR * Diagnosis of bipolar disorder with manic episode or history of manic episodes according to DSM-5-TR * Confirmed neurological disorder * Epilepsy or history of epileptic seizures Medical comorbidities * Patient with known or suspected cardiac disease * Patient with severe pulmonary disease * Patient with cerebrovascular disease (e.g., stroke) Dermatological and surgical contraindications * Patient with scalp lesions, open wounds, or skin conditions (severe acne, herpes, burns, skin fissures) * Patient with severe dermatitis, oozing eczema, or fragile scalp * Patient with major surgical scars * Patient with recent craniotomy Implantable devices and materials • Patient with a pacemaker or intracranial electrodes, presence of intracranial metal, or skull defects (e.g., post-craniectomy or trepanation without reconstruction) Other criteria: * Simultaneous participation in another non-pharmacological intervention provided in the STNDA day hospital (e.g., psychoeducation, cognitive remediation, body expression therapy, emotional regulation training) * Patient with non-pathological ASRS screening scores (fewer than 4 of the first 6 items rated "Very often") * Insufficient proficiency in the French language * Patient under legal guardianship, curatorship, or judicial protection * Pregnant or breastfeeding patient (based on clinical interview)
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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 official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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