NCT07709234Not yet recruiting
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Long COVID Brain Fog and Fatigue
The Impact of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Quality of Life, Brain Fog, and Fatigue in Patients With Long COVID: Study Protocol of the NEUROSTIM-LC Study
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 22 Jul 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
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.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 20 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 11 Jul 2026
- Start date
- Sept 2026
- Primary completion date
- Dec 2027
- Lead sponsor
- University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
- Diseases
- Long COVID and ME/CFS
- NCT number
- NCT07709234
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 20
- From Sept 2026 to the primary completion date, Dec 2027
- No sites listed in no country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Pre-existing conditions associated with chronic fatigue or cognitive impairment prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or multiple sclerosis.
- Substance abuse, including alcohol or drugs.
- Current oncological treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Other illness
- Contraindications to transcranial direct current stimulation, including the presence of implanted electronic devices such as pacemakers or neurostimulators, intracranial metallic implants, or history of epilepsy or seizures.
- History of neurological disorders that may affect cognitive function, including stroke, Parkinson's disease, or neurodegenerative disorders.
- Severe psychiatric disorders, including psychosis or severe depression.
- Any medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, may interfere with participation or with the interpretation of the results.
Other
- Pregnancy.
Who the study is looking for
- Adults aged between 18 and 70 years.
- Diagnosis of long COVID according to World Health Organization criteria, defined as symptoms persisting for at least three months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and lasting for a minimum of two months without an alternative explanation.
- Presence of persistent fatigue and/or cognitive impairment, commonly described as brain fog, attributed to long COVID and confirmed at screening.
- Stable clinical condition allowing participation in the intervention and assessment procedures.
- Ability to understand the study procedures and provide written informed consent.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 70 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.