Recruiting

Brain Stimulation

Sponsor:

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Code:

NCT07090135

Conditions

Non-restorative Sleep

Healthy Volunteer

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Transcranial electrical stimulation with Temporal Interference (TES-TI)

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether stimulating the brain with electrical current during naps can increase certain kinds of brain activity that happen during sleep and lead to improvements in mental fatigue.

Participants will attend 2 study visits, each of which may last up to 4-5 hours. During these visits, participants will wear a high density electroencephalography (hdEEG) cap and take a nap.

Conditions

Non-restorative Sleep

Healthy Volunteer

Study ID

NCT07090135

Start date

Dec 19, 2025

Status verified date

Jul, 2026

Completion date

Sep, 2026

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Sep, 2026

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 18-75 of any gender identity
  • Self-reported non-restorative sleep, as measured by a REST-Q score
  • English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires)
  • Capable of taking daytime naps
  • US Citizen

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any current or history of neurological disorders or acquired neurological disease (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury), including intracranial lesions
  • History of inpatient psychiatric hospitalization
  • History of head trauma resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness; or a history of >3 grade I concussions
  • Current history of poorly controlled headaches including intractable or poorly controlled migraines

• Any systemic illness or unstable medical condition that may cause a medical emergency in case of a provoked seizure (cardiac malformation, cardiac dysrhythmia, asthma, etc.)
  • History of seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy, history of abnormal (epileptiform) EEG, or family history of treatment resistant epilepsy except for a single seizure of benign etiology (e.g. febrile seizures) in the judgment of a board-certified neurologist
  • Possible pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next 6 months
  • Any metal in the head
  • Any medical devices or implants (i.e. cardiac pacemaker, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, vagal nerve stimulator)
  • Dental implants
  • Permanent retainers
  • Any hair braid, dreadlocks, hair pieces, or extensions which cannot be taken out before the study sessions
  • Any head coverings or headdress that participant feels uncomfortable removing for the purposes of study sessions
  • Any medication that may alter seizure threshold taken during the study i.e., ADHD stimulants (Adderall, amphetamine); Tricyclic/atypical antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepine, imipramine, maprotiline, nortriptyline, bupropion); Antipsychotics (chlorpromazine, clozapine), Bronchodilators (theophylline, aminophylline); Antibiotics (fluoroquinolones, imipenem, penicillin, cephalosporins, metronidazole, isoniazid); Antivirals (valacyclovir, ritonavir); OTC antihistamines (diphenhydramine, Benadryl)
  • Claustrophobia (a fear of small or closed places)
  • Back problems that would prevent lying flat for up to two hours
  • Regular night-shift work (second or third shift)

Study Design

Enrollment

25 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Stimulation followed by no stimulation

Participants will receive stimulation during their nap at the first visit, and no stimulation during their nap at the second visit.

experimental: No stimulation followed by stimulation

Participants will not receive stimulation during their nap at the first visit, and receive stimulation during their nap at the second visit.

Interventions

Transcranial electrical stimulation with Temporal Interference (TES-TI)

TES-TI uses specific electrode arrangement patterns to selectively stimulate the brain. Participants will wear an hdEEG (high density electroencephalography) cap which will allow intermittent periods of stimulation from TES-TI.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in slow waves [ Time Frame: Baseline to 1 month ]
  • Change in sleep quality and mood [ Time Frame: Baseline to 1 month ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

PowerNap Study Team

608-263-4313powernap@psychiatry.wisc.edu

Locations

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Recruiting

Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53705

Contacts

PowerNap Study Team

608-263-4313powernap@psychiatry.wisc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Guilio Tononi, MD, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Last update posted

Aug 10, 2026

Last verified

Jul, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of Wisconsin, Madison on 2026-08-10.