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Brain stimulation may supercharge therapy for social anxiety

NCT ID NCT03743571

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Nevada, Reno 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
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early This study
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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tested whether a mild electrical current applied to the forehead (tDCS) could make exposure therapy work better for people with social anxiety. Thirty-three adults with public speaking fears gave speeches in virtual reality while receiving either real or fake tDCS. The goal was to see if the stimulation helped them feel less anxious and speak longer, especially when facing audiences of a different ethnicity. The study was terminated early, so results are limited.

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) device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to make exposure therapy more effective for social anxiety, potentially helping people overcome fear of public speaking faster.
What could go wrong
This was a very small, early study that was terminated, so results are limited. The approach is still experimental and may not work for everyone.

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

33 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Apr 2019

Finished

Mar 2020

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 years and older

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: * Age 18 or older (adult) * Enrolled in higher education (post-high school) * Elevated public speaking anxiety as indicated by self-report questions * NOT currently receiving in exposure therapy for social anxiety Exclusion Criteria: * History of seizure or any other neurological diagnosis * Has any metal in their skull (plates, steel sutures, etc.) * Participant is currently taking anti-convulsant, sedative/hypnotic, or antipsychotic medications * Participant is pregnant * Participant has already participated in a prior tDCS/tACS study on the same day as study visit 1 (which will involve either placebo or active/anodal tDCS stimulation)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

social phobia

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Social anxiety

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Nevada, Reno

    Reno, Nevada, 89557, United States

More trials for these conditions

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