An interventional study of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Long COVID, Post-COVID Conditions and Fatigue, sponsored by University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-22.
Sponsored by University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Long COVID can cause persistent symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties commonly described as brain fog, reduced exercise tolerance, and impaired quality of life. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that may help modulate brain activity in regions involved in cognition, fatigue, and executive function.
The NEUROSTIM-LC study will evaluate the feasibility and potential effects of repeated tDCS sessions in adults with long COVID presenting fatigue and/or brain fog. Participants will receive 30 sessions of tDCS applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Assessments will be performed before and after the intervention to evaluate changes in quality of life, fatigue, cognitive function, brain metabolism, physical performance, autonomic function, sleep quality, psychological symptoms, respiratory function, and blood biomarkers.
The NEUROSTIM-LC study is a prospective, single-arm, interventional before-and-after study designed to evaluate the feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in patients with long COVID. The study will recruit adults aged 18 to 70 years diagnosed with long COVID according to World Health Organization criteria and presenting persistent fatigue and/or cognitive impairment commonly described as brain fog.
Participants will receive 30 sessions of tDCS delivered over consecutive weeks in a controlled clinical setting. Stimulation will be applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with the anode positioned at F3 according to the international 10-20 EEG system and the cathode over the contralateral supraorbital region. Each session will be delivered at 2 mA for 20 minutes. Sessions will be performed on weekdays under the supervision of trained healthcare professionals, and adherence, tolerability, and adverse effects will be monitored throughout the intervention period.
Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after completion of the intervention. Clinical outcomes will include health-related quality of life, fatigue, cognitive performance, sleep quality, anxiety and depression symptoms, and perceived symptom evolution. Neurobiological and physiological outcomes will include brain metabolism assessed by PET-CT, autonomic nervous system activity assessed by heart rate variability, exercise capacity assessed using the Ekblom-Bak submaximal cycle ergometer test, upper-limb muscle strength assessed by handgrip dynamometry, lower-limb neuromuscular performance assessed by countermovement jump testing, respiratory function, oxygen saturation, and routine blood biomarkers. Blood samples may also be stored for future analysis of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers.
The study aims to provide preliminary information on whether repeated tDCS may be associated with measurable improvements in fatigue, brain fog, quality of life, and physiological function in patients with long COVID. The findings will help inform the design of future controlled trials evaluating non-invasive neuromodulation strategies for persistent neurological and fatigue-related symptoms after COVID-19.
604 studies on the registry are indexed under Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; 201 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 20 is below the median of 60 across 416 interventional studies indexed under Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome.
Browse Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome studies →University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the lead sponsor of 23 studies on the registry; 7 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive 30 sessions of transcranial direct current stimulation applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Stimulation will be delivered at 2 mA for 20 minutes per session, once daily, five days per week, under supervision of trained healthcare professionals.
Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Transcranial direct current stimulation will be delivered using a constant-current stimulator through surface electrodes placed over the scalp. The anode will be positioned over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, corresponding to F3 according to the international 10-20 EEG system, and the cathode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital region. Each session will be delivered at 2 mA for 20 minutes. Participants will complete 30 sessions.
Also known as: tDCS, Non-invasive brain stimulation, EPTE Bipolar tDCS device
Change in EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level Questionnaire Score
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L). The EQ-5D-5L assesses five health dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression, each rated across five levels of severity. Higher scores or index values reflect better health status, depending on the scoring method used. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Modified Fatigue Impact Scale Score
Fatigue will be assessed using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS). The MFIS assesses the impact of fatigue on physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. The total score ranges from 0 to 84, with higher scores indicating greater fatigue impact. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score
Global cognitive function will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The MoCA evaluates cognitive domains including attention, memory, language, visuospatial abilities, executive function, abstraction, calculation, and orientation. The total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Short Form-36 Health Survey Score
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 evaluates eight domains of health-related quality of life: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, role limitations due to emotional problems, energy/fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain, and general health. Scores are transformed to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores indicating better health-related quality of life. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Verbal Fluency Task Performance
Verbal fluency will be assessed using verbal fluency tasks. Performance will be evaluated based on the number of correct words generated within the specified time period. Higher scores indicate better verbal fluency performance. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Stroop Test Performance
Executive function, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility will be assessed using the Stroop test. Performance will be evaluated using test-specific measures such as response accuracy and/or completion time. Better performance is reflected by higher accuracy and/or shorter completion time, depending on the scoring method used. Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Brain Metabolism
Brain metabolism will be assessed using positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). Changes from baseline to post-intervention will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Heart Rate Variability
Autonomic nervous system activity will be assessed using heart rate variability (HRV) recorded under resting conditions. Time-domain, frequency-domain, and non-linear HRV indices will be evaluated to characterize changes in autonomic regulation.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Endurance Capacity
Endurance capacity will be assessed using the Ekblom-Bak submaximal cycle ergometer test. Heart rate responses, perceived exertion, estimated maximal oxygen uptake, and internal load will be evaluated under standardized conditions.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Handgrip Strength
Upper-limb muscle strength will be assessed using handgrip dynamometry. Participants will perform three maximal attempts, and the highest value will be used for analysis.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Change in Lower-Limb Neuromuscular Performance
Lower-limb neuromuscular performance will be assessed using the countermovement jump test performed on a force platform. Variables related to force and power production will be evaluated.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days after completion of the 30-session tDCS intervention
Tolerability of the tDCS Intervention
Tolerability of the tDCS intervention will be assessed during each stimulation session using session monitoring records and participant reports. Tolerability will be evaluated based on the number of completed tDCS sessions out of the 30 scheduled sessions and the participant's ability to complete each session without clinically relevant discomfort. A higher number of completed sessions indicates greater intervention tolerability
Time frame: During each tDCS session throughout the 30-session intervention period
Adverse Effects Related to tDCS
Adverse effects related to tDCS will be monitored and recorded at each stimulation session. Potential adverse effects include tingling, itching, headache, discomfort, burning sensation, dizziness, or transient erythema at the electrode site. The presence, type, and severity of adverse effects will be documented. Severity will be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
Time frame: During each tDCS session throughout the 30-session intervention period
No study locations are listed for this record.
Start is estimated for Sep 2026; primary completion for Dec 2027, 15 months later.
Of 233 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, half reached primary completion within 16 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 8 and three quarters within 28. This study's planned 15 months is close to that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 244 studies reached it within 16 months; a quarter within 7 and three quarters within 27.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria