Can zapping the brain and online therapy cure insomnia in those with fading memory?
NCT ID NCT06687161
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new approach to improve sleep in people aged 60+ with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It combines a gentle brain stimulation technique called TMS with an internet-based sleep therapy program. The goal is to see if this combo can ease insomnia and possibly boost memory. Thirty participants will be tracked over several weeks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug way to improve sleep and possibly slow memory decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small early-stage study (30 people) with no control group, so results may not apply widely. The benefits for memory are uncertain.
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 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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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60 years and older
- 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: * Aged 60 years or older * Speak and read English * Clinical diagnosis of MCI or Subjective Cognitive Impairment (SCI)-a perceived gradual worsening in cognitive ability relative to one's younger self, or peer group-reported by either the participant or informant * Reported insomnia symptoms (sleep-onset and/or sleep maintenance) that cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning over the past three months * Have access to an Internet-enabled computer or tablet at home, or ability to connect a BIDMC-provided tablet to the internet, with private space to complete cognitive testing * Capable of and willing to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Evidence of significant cognitive impairment or dementia * Contraindications for TMS or MRI * Current psychological treatment for insomnia * Uncontrolled moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea or other untreated sleep disorder (e.g., Restless Leg Syndrome, Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, parasomnia). Sleep apnea that is managed (e.g., regular use of a CPAP) and stable for ≥3 months is allowed. * Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Lewy-Body disease, or other neurological condition known to impact sleep * Current diagnosis of major psychiatric disorder (well-controlled depression or anxiety is permitted) * Current opiate/opioid use * Alcohol or drug abuse within the past year * Irregular sleep schedule (bedtime before 8pm/after 2am OR wake time before 4am/after 10am), unless participant states they are willing and able to change if prompted.
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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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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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