Non-invasive Deep Brain Stimulation to Improve Spatial Navigation Abilities in Individuals Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Impairments in spatial memory and spatial navigation are commonly reported amongst patients presenting post-traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study, the investigators examine the effect of non-invasive deep brain stimulation of the hippocampal-entorhinal complex (HC-EC), a key region supporting navigation abilities, on spatial navigation performance in TBI patients. Using a virtual reality task where participants must first encode and later recall the location of objects in a virtual arena, the investigators contrast performance while active versus control stimulation is applied to the HC-EC. The investigators additionally record brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) prior to, during, and after task performance to characterize the neural correlates of spatial navigation abilities in TBI patients, and how they are affected by stimulation.

NCT Number	NCT07271524
Lead Sponsor	Friedhelm Hummel Collaborators: Fondation Bertarelli, The Novartis Foundation, Clinique Romande de Readaptation, University of Guadalajara, Swiss National Science Foundation, Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, Fondation Akiva, Canton du Valais
Conditions	Traumatic Brain Injury
Enrollment	25 participants
Start Date	2025-12
Primary Completion	2027-12 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-12 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-12-09