Transcranial Alternating Current StimulationNCT06127056
Intervention Effect of High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS) on Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI)
A study testing High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS) in people with Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Non-suicidal Self-injury, run by Anhui Medical University at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
To investigate the intervention effect of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) on patients with Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI) and its underlying neural mechanism by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 12 to 18 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation, Non-suicidal Self-injury
- What is being tested?
- High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 1 May 2023to 30 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 12 to 18 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- The patients were diagnosed by 2 or more senior clinical psychiatrists, meeting DSM-V criteria, and having 1 or more non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors in the last 6 months.
- 12-18 years of age.
- The medicine has not changed in the 4 weeks prior to or after this study, and if it has to be changed, the treatment medication is required to be at a subtherapeutic dosage level.
Who cannot join
- The patient has suicidal ideation or has committed suicidal behavior
- T1 or T2 weighted phase magnetic resonance images show focal brain lesions
- patients had neurological disorders such as epilepsy, or serious physical illnesses
- patients had a history of substance abuse and drug dependence in the last 6 months or use of anticonvulsant drugs in the last 3 months
- patients had received radial cranial electrical stimulation or magnetic stimulation treatment in the last 3 months or received electroconvulsive therapy in the last 6 months
- patients had previous significant head trauma or EEG abnormality in the last 1 month
- body-mounted devices unsuitable for treatment, such as pacemakers, artificial valves, and other metal implants.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
China1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Anhui Medical University
Hefei, Anhui
Kai Wang, PhD, +86-0551-62923704, wangkai1964@126.com
Yanghua Tian, PhD, +8613955188448, ayfytyh@126.com
About this study
To investigate the intervention effect of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) on patients with Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI) and its underlying neural mechanism by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Read the detailed description
Forty patients with Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI) diagnosed by DSM-5 were recruited from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. All participants underwent a structured interview and routine laboratory examination before and after receiving high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) treatment after meeting the inclusion criteria and obtaining informed consent. Each participant will complete the clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and HD-tACS treatment conducted by trained researchers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. All the participants were randomized (1:1) to receive an "active HD-tACS" or "sham HD-tACS" treatment protocol. tACS: the central electrode was placed over F3 with return electrodes placed at Fp1, Fz, F7 and C3. Fourteen 2-mA sessions (ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 15 and 15 seconds, respectively) were applied for 20 minutes per session, twice daily over 7 consecutive days, and the stimulus frequency was set as individual alpha frequency (IAF). Sham HD-tACS was delivered using the same protocol and current intensity, but the period of active stimulation was only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 15 and 15 seconds.
Before and after the treatments, the patients received a battery measure of neuropsychological tests, and MRI scans in multimodalities. The neuropsychological assessment included the Ottawa Self-injury Inventory (OSI), the Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) etc.Multimodal MRI includes 3D-T1, rs-fMRI, and DTI. The symptoms of the patients were followed up one and two months after the end of treatments.
- Being tested
- High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS), sham High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)
- Medical subject headings
- Self-Injurious Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)Device
tACS is described as a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that uses a low-intensity, alternating current applied directly to the head through scalp electrodes.
sham High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)Device
In the sham condition, tACS was delivered only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods (15s and 15s); no current was delivered during the 20-minute intervention.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| real stimulation | Active comparator | The central electrode was placed over F3, with return electrodes at Fp1, Fz, F7 and C3. Fourteen 2-mA sessions (ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 15 and 15 seconds, respectively) were applied for 20 minutes per session, twice daily over 7 consecutive days, and the stimulus frequency was set as IAF. Receives: Device: High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS) |
| sham stimulation | Sham comparator | In the sham condition, tACS was delivered only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods (15 and 15 s); no current was delivered during the 20-minute intervention. Participants will receive sham tACS twice daily for two weeks. Receives: Device: sham High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in the number, frequency, and impulsivity of self-injurious behaviors
Adolescent Non-suicidal self-injury Assessment Questionnaire consisted of 2 dimensions and 12 items, with 5 options for each item, namely, "none, occasional, sometimes, often, and always", and was scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4. The score for each item was summed up as the total score of the questionnaire, and the total mean score was divided by the number of items. The total mean score was divided by the number of items, and the higher the total mean score, the more serious the patients' non-suicidal Likert 5 self-injurious behaviors were.
Measured: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Secondary outcomes (3)
Change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) Score
The HAMD is a clinician-administered depression assessment and consists of 17 items with a total score range from 0 to 54. A higher score indicates a worse outcome.
Measured: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Change in Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) Score
The HAMA is a 14-item scale to measure the severity of anxiety symptoms, where each item is rated on a scale from 0 to 4. The HAMA total score ranges from 0 to 56, with lower scores indicating less anxiety symptoms.
Measured: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Change in Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) Score
The PHQ-15 is a 15-item scale to measure the severity of somatic symptoms, where each item is rated on a scale from 0 to 2. The PHQ-15 total score ranges from 0 to 30, with lower scores indicating less somatic symptoms.
Measured: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 Nov 2023
- Study start1 May 2023
- Primary completion30 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Transcranial Alternating Current StimulationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Anhui Medical University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, WANG KAI, Anhui Medical University
- Investigators
- Yanghua Tian, PhD, Study chair, Anhui Medical University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06127056
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- AHMU-tACS-NSSI
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 7 Nov 2023
- Last updated
- 22 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Intervention Effect of High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS) on Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06127056
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- AHMU-tACS-NSSI
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Anhui Medical UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 13 Nov 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To investigate the intervention effect of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) on patients with Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI) and its underlying neural mechanism by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Detailed description
Forty patients with Non-suicidal Self-injury (NSSI) diagnosed by DSM-5 were recruited from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. All participants underwent a structured interview and routine laboratory examination before and after receiving high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) treatment after meeting the inclusion criteria and obtaining informed consent. Each participant will complete the clinical evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and HD-tACS treatment conducted by trained researchers at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. All the participants were randomized (1:1) to receive an "active HD-tACS" or "sham HD-tACS" treatment protocol. tACS: the central electrode was placed over F3 with return electrodes placed at Fp1, Fz, F7 and C3. Fourteen 2-mA sessions (ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 15 and 15 seconds, respectively) were applied for 20 minutes per session, twice daily over 7 consecutive days, and the stimulus frequency was set as individual alpha frequency (IAF). Sham HD-tACS was delivered using the same protocol and current intensity, but the period of active stimulation was only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 15 and 15 seconds.
Before and after the treatments, the patients received a battery measure of neuropsychological tests, and MRI scans in multimodalities. The neuropsychological assessment included the Ottawa Self-injury Inventory (OSI), the Adolescent Non-suicidal Self-injury Assessment Questionnaire (ANSAQ), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) etc.Multimodal MRI includes 3D-T1, rs-fMRI, and DTI. The symptoms of the patients were followed up one and two months after the end of treatments.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| real stimulation | Active comparator | Device: High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)The central electrode was placed over F3, with return electrodes at Fp1, Fz, F7 and C3. Fourteen 2-mA sessions (ramp-up and ramp-down periods of 15 and 15 seconds, respectively) were applied for 20 minutes per session, twice daily over 7 consecutive days, and the stimulus frequency was set as IAF. |
| sham stimulation | Sham comparator | Device: sham High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)In the sham condition, tACS was delivered only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods (15 and 15 s); no current was delivered during the 20-minute intervention. Participants will receive sham tACS twice daily for two weeks. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 12 to 18 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- The patients were diagnosed by 2 or more senior clinical psychiatrists, meeting DSM-V criteria, and having 1 or more non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors in the last 6 months.
- 12-18 years of age.
- The medicine has not changed in the 4 weeks prior to or after this study, and if it has to be changed, the treatment medication is required to be at a subtherapeutic dosage level.
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- The patient has suicidal ideation or has committed suicidal behavior
- T1 or T2 weighted phase magnetic resonance images show focal brain lesions
- patients had neurological disorders such as epilepsy, or serious physical illnesses
- patients had a history of substance abuse and drug dependence in the last 6 months or use of anticonvulsant drugs in the last 3 months
- patients had received radial cranial electrical stimulation or magnetic stimulation treatment in the last 3 months or received electroconvulsive therapy in the last 6 months
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)tACS is described as a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that uses a low-intensity, alternating current applied directly to the head through scalp electrodes. | Device | real stimulation |
| sham High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS)In the sham condition, tACS was delivered only during the ramp-up and ramp-down periods (15s and 15s); no current was delivered during the 20-minute intervention. | Device | sham stimulation |
Primary outcome
Changes in the number, frequency, and impulsivity of self-injurious behaviors
Time frame: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Adolescent Non-suicidal self-injury Assessment Questionnaire consisted of 2 dimensions and 12 items, with 5 options for each item, namely, "none, occasional, sometimes, often, and always", and was scored on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 to 4. The score for each item was summed up as the total score of the questionnaire, and the total mean score was divided by the number of items. The total mean score was divided by the number of items, and the higher the total mean score, the more serious the patients' non-suicidal Likert 5 self-injurious behaviors were.
3 secondary outcomes
Change in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) Score
Time frame: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Change in Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) Score
Time frame: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Change in Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) Score
Time frame: baseline and immediately after the intervention
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Jul 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Yanghua Tian, PhD study chair
Anhui Medical University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing High-Definition Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (HD-tACS) in people with Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation and Non-suicidal Self-injury, run by Anhui Medical University at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Kai Wang, PhD (+86-0551-62923704, wangkai1964@126.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes in the number, frequency, and impulsivity of self-injurious behaviors (time frame: baseline and immediately after the intervention). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Jul 2026.