Zapping the brain to curb alcohol cravings: new trial underway
NCT ID NCT07472673
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) aimed at the amygdala, a brain region linked to cravings. Researchers will enroll 60 adults with alcohol use disorder to see if tTIS can reduce alcohol cravings and prevent relapse. The approach uses two pairs of electrodes on the scalp to create a low-frequency electric field deep in the brain without surgery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug way to reduce alcohol cravings and help prevent relapse in people with alcohol use disorder.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study with only 60 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The technique is experimental and its long-term effects are unknown.
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 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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 60 years
- Sex
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Male participants only
- 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 18 to 60 years old; * Meets the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder; * Normal or corrected normal vision and hearing; * Able to cooperate in completing the questionnaire assessment and behavioral tests; * No metal implantation in the head, no history of neurological problems or head injury. Exclusion Criteria: * Suffering from severe cognitive dysfunction, such as a history of head trauma, cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, etc., use of cognitive-promoting medications in the last 6 months; * serious physical or neurological illness, a diagnosis of any other psychiatric disorder under DSM-5 criteria (except for nicotine use disorder); Other psychoactive substance abuse or dependence in the last 5 years (except nicotine). * any contraindications to transcranial electrical stimulation.
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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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Shanghai Mental Health Center
Shanghai, 200000, China
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