Can a gentle electric zap to the brain restore memory in MS?
NCT ID NCT05958381
First seen Aug 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This trial tests whether a mild electric current applied to a brain area linked to memory can improve verbal recall in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Participants will receive either active or sham stimulation during cognitive tasks, and their performance will be measured before, shortly after, and two months later. The study also looks at how individual differences, such as baseline cognition and concussion history, might influence treatment response.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) delivered via a Neuroelectrics Starstim device
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could offer a non-invasive, drug-free way to ease memory and thinking problems in people with multiple sclerosis.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage trial, and results may not be conclusive or widely applicable. The stimulation is low-level, but individual responses can vary, and benefits may not last.
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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2023
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
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: º Diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) º Memory retrieval deficit based on neuropsychological testing done in our lab º Must be fluent in speaking and reading English. Exclusion Criteria: º Relapse or acute MS exacerbation or a course of steroids in the two months preceding the testing º Participants using benzodiazepines must have been on a stable dose for at least two months º Potentially confounding psychological or neurological disorder, including: * dementia of any type * epilepsy or other seizure disorders * severe traumatic brain injury * brain tumor * present drug abuse * stroke * blood vessel abnormalities in the brain * Parkinson's disease * Huntington's disease º inability to give informed consent º cranial implants º skull defects that affect tDCS administration º use of medications that interact with or potentially interact with tDCS effects, including: * anti-convulsants * L-dopa * carbamazepine * sulpiride * pergolide * lorazepam * rivastigmine * dextromethorphan * D-cycloserine * flunarizine * ropinirole * stimulants (dextroamphetamine/amphetamine/modafinil/armodafinil) must be stopped during enrollment
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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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The University of Texas at Dallas
RECRUITINGRichardson, Texas, 75080, United States
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