Brain stimulation trial aims to rewire fear responses in anxiety
NCT ID NCT07405463
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a single session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve the brain's ability to update fear and safety associations in people with anxiety disorders. 140 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active stimulation targeting specific brain regions or a sham (placebo) stimulation. The main goal is to see if tDCS boosts cognitive flexibility during a fear reversal task.
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 brain stimulation technique to help people with anxiety disorders better unlearn fears.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only a single session of stimulation. It may not produce lasting or clinically meaningful changes, and results may not apply to all anxiety disorders.
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 140 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 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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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
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 between 18 and 60 years old. Right-handed. Meeting the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Gambling Disorder (GD). South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) score ≥ 5. Normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing. Willingness to provide written informed consent and participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: History of other severe psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression) or neurological diseases (e.g., epilepsy, stroke, brain tumor). History of substance abuse or dependence (excluding nicotine) in the past 6 months. Current use of psychotropic medications that may affect cortical excitability (e.g., antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants). Presence of metallic implants in the head or neck area (e.g., cochlear implants, aneurysm clips) or cardiac pacemakers. Skin lesions or sensitivity at the stimulation sites on the scalp. Pregnancy or lactation. Participation in other neuromodulation studies within the last 3 months.
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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
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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Shenzhen Kangning Hospital
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Scientists probe brain's reward system in mental illness
- Can a computer game rewire anxious Kids' brains?
- Gambling, sex, and food: scientists map the addicted brain
- Can a nudge or a coach keep people engaged with mental health apps?
- Writing as medicine: can words soothe chronic pain?