Effects of tDCS for Enhancing Cognitive Function in Individuals With Persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome
Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Enhancing Cognitive Function in Individuals With Persistent Post-Concussion Syndrome: A Pilot fMRI/1H-MRS Study
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
- Post-Concussion Syndrome
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
At a glance
- Phase
- Phase not stated
- Study type
- Interventional
- Sponsor
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Enrolment target
- 40
- Started
- 1 September 2025
- Main results due
- August 2027
- Study sites
- 1
- Registry updated
- 25 September 2026
Can you take part?
- Ages 18 years to 65 years.
- Open to any sex.
- You need the condition being studied — healthy volunteers are not accepted.
These are the headline rules only. Every study has a longer list, and whether you are eligible is decided by the research team at the site — never by this page.
Read the full eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * being 18 years old or older; * having a history of a mild TBI (less than 30 minutes loss of consciousness) 1-6 years prior to the study; * able to communicate in Chinese. Exclusion Criteria: * being without a confirmed diagnosis from the medical practitioner; * having a history of other neurological and psychiatric disorders, skull defect, recent medical instability (within 3 weeks); * being pregnant; * being medication for a psychiatric condition (e.g., major depression, anxiety, schizophrenia); * with any implanted devices or suffering from real claustrophobia or feel uncomfortable in small, enclosed spaces, like MRI tunnel
What this study is about
In the sponsor’s own words, from the registry.
Globally, 10 million new traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases are estimated annually, with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounting for 75-90% of all TBI cases. It is estimated that 40-80% of individuals with mTBI may experience the post-concussion syndrome (PCS), which is characterized by a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. Although the underlying basis of cognitive dysfunction of patients with persistent PCS remains to be clarified, converging evidence shows that the clinical symptoms is underpinned by abnormal neural information processing as a result of axonal injury due to mTBI. Recent studies have demonstrated abnormalities in both structural and functional cortical connectivity, and a loss of cortical excitability-inhibitory (E/I) balance after TBI. Yet, there is no consensus for treating chronic symptoms of concussion, and PCS remains a chronic and highly disabling condition. One potential treatment option is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has been shown to modify behavior by enhancing connectivity between targeted brain areas. However, research on the therapeutic effect of tDCS on PCS symptoms is limited, and the neurologic mechanisms underlying its effects are not well understood. The proposed study aims to address these knowledge gaps by examining the effects of tDCS on the central nervous system function in patients with PCS, with a specific focus on functional cortical connectivity and cognitive functions such as processing speed and executive function. The study also aims to add value to existing evidence by potentially opening new directions for designing intervention programs for the treatment of PCS after mTBI.
Study sites(1)
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Recruiting
Showing 1 of 1 sites. 1 of the 1 site on this study is recruiting right now — a site can stop enrolling while the study as a whole is still open.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT06376500. Trialion does not run this study, is not paid to refer anyone to it, and cannot enrol you. Eligibility is always decided by the research team at the site.
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