Summary
High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for Long COVID; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Long COVID: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 60 participants. Registered activity dates to 2021. The literature layer holds 16 publications for this pair: 4 systematic reviews, 7 clinical trial publications and 5 other publications. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
Long COVID / PASC is tracked on the OSMF post-viral programme alongside ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS and MCAS. Across the programme, 423 candidate agents are logged for Long COVID, most of them preliminary; this page isolates the record for one of them.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 36.0 (trials 1.0, literature 30.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 16 (7 clinical trial publications, 5 other publications, 4 systematic reviews) |
| Agent type | Other (Other / Unclassified) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Investigational |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | OSMF therapeutic agent database, ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT06255600 | High-definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Chlorella Pyrenoidosa to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk Federal University of Paraíba · 2021 | status unknown | Not applicable | 60 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 42361028
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 41580590
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 41212544
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 40848897
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 40702022
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 38272997
- Clinical trial publication (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 36693536
- Review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 42258788
- Review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 40980513
- Review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 36700201
- Case series (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 38961771
- Case series (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 36202328
- Systematic review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 41668172
- Systematic review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 39603702
- Systematic review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 39089436
- Systematic review (PubMed validation search) PubMed record PMID 36642173
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
Clinical notes: Investigational for listed conditions. 1 associated trial(s) and 0 study reference(s) in current data. Review primary sources and consult specialists before use.
Safety: Limited specific safety data in these populations. Review full prescribing information and consult specialist. Many agents used off-label or investigational.
Dosing in studies: See linked studies/trials for reported doses and durations; typical protocols vary widely.
Frequently asked questions
Is High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation approved for Long COVID?
High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for Long COVID; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in clinical trials for Long COVID?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Long COVID: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 60 participants. Registered activity dates to 2021.
What does the evidence show for High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Long COVID?
Trials of High Definition-Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Long COVID are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), taken from the OSMF therapeutic agent database, which grades agents by the volume and design of condition-specific evidence rather than by effect size.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-10-07. Page built 2026-10-07.