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Intensive Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Long COVID
Sponsor: Hospital de Basurto
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) works to treat fatigue and other symptoms in adults with Long COVID. It will also learn about the safety and home adherence of this intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does active tDCS lower fatigue severity (FAS score) compared to sham treatment? What are the effects of the treatment sequence on cognition, pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life? Researchers will compare a sequence of active tDCS followed by sham tDCS to a sequence of sham tDCS followed by active tDCS in a crossover design to see if the intervention works. Participants will: Receive a tapered schedule of home-based tDCS over 3 weeks per intervention period (totaling 42 sessions per intervention, separated by a 4-week washout period) Complete symptom evaluations and cognitive/clinical tests at baseline, after Phase 1, and after Phase 2 Log their daily sessions to track home adherence and report any potential side effects
Official title: Intensive Home-based Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Long COVID: a Randomised, Double-blind, Sham-controlled, Crossover Pilot Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
40
Start Date
2025-09-02
Completion Date
2026-01-29
Last Updated
2026-10-19
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
The intervention utilizes a home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) protocol administered autonomously by participants in real-world settings.Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) delivers low-intensity direct electrical current through scalp electrodes in order to modulate cortical excitability and synaptic plasticity. The treatment plan features a specific 3-week tapered schedule per intervention period totaling 42 sessions: Week 1 consists of 3 sessions per day (morning, afternoon, and evening; 21 sessions), Week 2 consists of 2 sessions per day (morning and afternoon; 14 sessions), and Week 3 consists of 1 session per day (any time of day; 7 sessions).
Locations (1)
Hospital Universitario Basurto - Osakidetza / Basurto University Hospital - Basque Health System
Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain