Could a night of brain zapping improve sleep and seizures in epilepsy?
NCT ID NCT07434986
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called temporal interference (TI) can reduce abnormal brain activity and improve sleep in adults with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. Twenty participants will stay in a sleep lab for six nights, receiving TI stimulation during sleep on some nights and no stimulation on others. Researchers will compare seizure-related brain activity and sleep quality between these nights to see if the stimulation helps.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Non-invasive temporal interference (TI) electrical stimulation
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive way to reduce seizure-related brain activity and improve sleep for people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The stimulation may not reduce seizure activity or improve sleep, and side effects are not yet well understood.
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 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Jun 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 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
-
18 to 70 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 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 18 - 70 years * Diagnosis of focal drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy * Candidate for in-laboratory overnight monitoring with PSG and scalp EEG, with ability to comply with study procedures * Stable antiseizure medication regimen for at least 1 week prior to admission * Capacity to provide consent Exclusion Criteria: * Generalized epilepsy syndromes or primary generalized seizures * Recent status epilepticus, seizure clusters requiring emergency intervention, or other features indicating unacceptable risk for monitored participation * Uncontrolled psychiatric illness (e.g., acute psychosis, severe untreated depression with high suicide risk) * Implanted electronic or metallic devices incompatible with TI (e.g., certain pacemakers, cochlear implants) as per device manual * Severe obstructive sleep apnea requiring immediate CPAP initiation and not yet treated * Dermatologic disease at electrode sites or known contact allergy to electrode materials * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Concurrent enrollment in other interventional neuromodulation or pharmacological trials likely to confound EEG or sleep outcomes
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Drug resistant epilepsy are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
Anphy Lab - Inside Hock Plaza
Durham, North Carolina, 27705, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can a daily pill slow the visible signs of aging?
- Does soreness after exercise disrupt sleep more for people with insomnia?
- Can teaching parents about sleep help kids with developmental conditions?
- Can a bed that changes temperature deepen your sleep?
- Can zapping the ear during a nap boost memory?
- Ketamine, long used as an anesthetic, tested as a seizure treatment