Trial results for a study investigating home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2026-04-30, involving 31 participants.
Background
Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), often referred to as "Long COVID," encompasses a range of persistent symptoms following acute COVID-19 infection. Among these, dysexecutive syndrome, characterized by impairments in cognitive functions such as sustained attention and processing speed, significantly impacts daily life. Noninvasive methods like transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which uses low-intensity electric currents delivered to the brain, are being explored as potential home-based interventions to improve these cognitive symptoms in PASC patients.
Trial design
This study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 31 participants to investigate conditions including Dysexecutive Syndrome and Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19. The trial aimed to improve dysexecutive symptoms through home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The intervention involved active tDCS, compared against a sham tDCS control group.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements related to cognitive functions:
- Inhibitory Control (Ratio of correct responses):
- For the Active tDCS group, the mean was 0.80 (Standard Deviation 0.08).
- For the Sham tDCS group, the mean was 0.79 (Standard Deviation 0.11).
- A separate measurement for the Active tDCS group showed a mean of 0.84 (Standard Deviation 0.09).
- For the Sham tDCS group, this measurement showed a mean of 0.82 (Standard Deviation 0.1).
- Processing Speed (miliseconds):
- For the Active tDCS group, the mean was 424.1 (Standard Deviation 39).
- For the Sham tDCS group, the mean was 406.9 (Standard Deviation 42.7).
- Cognitive Flexibility (Performance score, higher the better):
- For the Active tDCS group, the mean was 41.4 (Standard Deviation 11.7).
- For the Sham tDCS group, the mean was 40 (Standard Deviation 12).
- A separate measurement for the Active tDCS group showed a mean of 47.5 (Standard Deviation 10.6).
- For the Sham tDCS group, this measurement showed a mean of 44.1 (Standard Deviation 15.3).
- Working Memory (Performance score, higher the better):
- For the Active tDCS group, the mean was 46.9 (Standard Deviation 8.7).
- For the Sham tDCS group, the mean was 43.7 (Standard Deviation 10.6).
What this means
The posted trial results provide specific measurements for various cognitive functions, including inhibitory control, processing speed, cognitive flexibility, and working memory, in patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) receiving home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or sham treatment. While numerical differences between the active and sham groups are observable across these metrics, the data as presented does not include statistical analyses or p-values. Therefore, these results contribute to the descriptive understanding of cognitive outcomes in this population, informing future research directions for noninvasive brain stimulation in PASC.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study NCT05092516, titled "Home-based Brain Stimulation Treatment for Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)", were posted on 2026-04-30 on clinicaltrials.gov.