Could a gentle brain zapper curb opioid cravings?

NCT ID NCT06432465

Disease control Sponsor: Butler Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 29, 2026 · Last updated Jun 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called tDCS can reduce opioid cravings and prevent relapse. Researchers will compare active stimulation to a sham (fake) version in 100 adults with opioid use disorder who recently started medication like buprenorphine or methadone. The goal is to see if targeting the prefrontal cortex can strengthen self-control and lower the chance of returning to opioid use.

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 way to help people with opioid use disorder resist cravings and avoid relapse.
What could go wrong: This is a mid-stage trial with 100 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The stimulation may cause discomfort or fail to reduce relapse rates.

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 100 people

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

Started

Apr 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 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

21 to 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

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

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. current opioid dependence 2. between 21-60 years of age 3. recent initiation of buprenorphine or methadone (≤90 days) 4. enrolled in Butler Hospital's Alcohol and Drug Inpatient Unit, Alcohol and Drug Partial Hospital Treatment Program, Intensive Outpatient Services, or Outpatient Services at Butler Hospital OR receive opioid-treatment services in the community. Exclusion Criteria: 1. current diagnosis of organic brain disorder (e.g., Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, intracranial mass/infection, hydrocephalus) 2. bipolar, schizophrenia, schizoaffective, or schizophreniform disorder, or current psychosis associated with any disorder 3. current suicidality 4. evidence of significant neurocognitive dysfunction 5. conditions associated with heightened tDCS risks, e.g., seizure disorder, nonremovable intracranial metal objects (other than dental fillings and dental implants), skin disease or active lesions on the scalp, migraine/other headache disorder with significant active symptoms, traumatic brain injury or skull fracture within the past year, any implanted medical devices or device components that can interact with electromagnetic fields or are controlled by physiological signals 6. probation/parole requirements or an upcoming move that might interfere with protocol participation 7. planning to terminate buprenorphine or methadone in less than 3 months 8. current pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next month.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

opiate dependence

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Opioid-use disorder

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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.

Could a gentle brain zapper curb opioid cravings?

What the study statuses mean