Condition

Disorders of Consciousness clinical trials and research

• 13Clinical trials
• 3NIH research projects
• 9Countries

Newest Disorders of Consciousness clinical trials

All recruiting trials (13)

• Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to help regain consciousness after surgery for brain hemorrhage

  This study tests whether a noninvasive ear-based nerve stimulation can help adults recover consciousness after brain hemorrhage surgery.

  Recruiting Beijing Tiantan Hospital · Beijing · NCT07761507

• Focusing ultrasound to the central thalamus to help people with disorders of consciousness

  This study tests whether two sessions of low-intensity focused ultrasound can safely help people with severe brain injuries see if they become more awake or responsive.

  Recruiting Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre · Toronto, Ontario · NCT07694258

• Recovery after coma from serious brain injury or illness

  This observational study will follow adults who are unconscious due to a serious brain illness or injury to see what medical, neurological, psychological, and social factors are linked with recovery over time.

  Recruiting University of California, San Francisco · San Francisco, California · NCT07614074

• Theta-burst temporal interference stimulation to improve awareness in people with disorders of consciousness

  This study will test whether theta-burst patterned temporal interference stimulation (tTIs) can help adults with recent disorders of consciousness (vegetative or minimally conscious) show more signs of awareness.

  Recruiting Zhujiang Hospital · Guangzhou, Guangdong · NCT07539740

• Can a bedside brain scan (fNIRS) detect activity in healthy people and in people with disorders of consciousness

  This observational study tests whether functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can measure brain activity at the bedside in healthy adults and in patients with disorders of consciousness in the Neuro-ICU.

  Recruiting University of California, Los Angeles · Los Angeles, California · NCT07485361

• Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for people with disorders of consciousness

  This test tries transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) to see if it helps adults who are in a vegetative state or a minimally conscious state.

  Recruiting Zhujiang Hospital · Guangzhou, Guangdong · NCT07284732

• Restoring consciousness using deep brain stimulation of the central thalamus

  This trial will test whether deep brain stimulation of two specific central thalamus targets can help people with chronic disorders of consciousness become more responsive.

  Recruiting Early Phase 1 Brigham and Women's Hospital · Boston, Massachusetts · NCT07228286

• Rectal stimulation with EEG to help diagnose disorders of consciousness

  This tests whether brief rectal stimulation paired with EEG can reveal brain signals that help diagnose adults who have had a disorder of consciousness for at least 28 days.

  Recruiting Hangzhou Normal University · Hefei, Anhui and 1 other locations · NCT07208942

• Memory abilities in people with disorders of consciousness

  This project tests whether brain (hdEEG) and heart (ECG) signals can reveal new memory formation in ICU patients with disorders of consciousness.

  Recruiting at 2 sites Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris · Paris and 1 other locations · NCT06959212

• Noninvasive brain stimulation for patients with severe brain injuries and consciousness disorders

  This study tests if a new type of brain stimulation can help improve awareness and thinking in patients with severe brain injuries who are not fully conscious.

  Recruiting Xijing Hospital · Xi'an, Shaanxi and 1 other locations · NCT06851156

• How risk influences care decisions for adults with disorders of consciousness

  This project sees how families, clinicians, and caregivers think about and manage risk when making care decisions for adults with disorders of consciousness.

  Recruiting University of Nottingham · London, London and 1 other locations · NCT06647433

• Natural eye blinking to help tell levels of consciousness

  This study will test whether patterns of natural eye blinking can help distinguish between unresponsive wakefulness and minimally conscious patients after recent severe brain injury.

  Recruiting at 7 sites Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ETS · Liège, Belgium and 7 other locations · NCT06323031

• Evaluating emergency surgery for severe brain hemorrhage patients on long-term antiplatelet treatment

  This study is trying to see if emergency surgery can help people with severe brain bleeding who are taking blood-thinning medications and how safe it is for them.

  Recruiting Beijing Tiantan Hospital · Beijing, Beijing Municipality · NCT05975398

NIH-funded research (3)

Early-stage science funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Most of these projects don't enroll patients, but they show what is being worked on.

• Recovery patterns in acute disorders of consciousness from brain injury

  This NIH grant tests whether a mix of brain scans, blood markers, and behavioral data can predict when people with acute brain injuries regain the ability to communicate.

  NIH research Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Nashville, United States · NIH-11425202

• How the brain causes losing and regaining consciousness

  This work looks at brain signals from people having epilepsy surgery to find patterns that explain losing and regaining consciousness across sleep, anesthesia, and awake states.

  NIH research University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, United States · NIH-11323081

• Exploring brain networks to improve awareness in patients with disorders of consciousness

  This study is exploring how a gentle brain stimulation technique might help people who can’t fully communicate due to disorders of consciousness, by looking at how their brains respond to sounds and using eye tracking to understand their experiences better.

  NIH research Yale University · New Haven, United States · NIH-11075533

Related topics

Quick answers

How many Disorders of Consciousness clinical trials are recruiting right now?

13, as of November 12, 2026. We update this list each time we refresh our data from ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where are these trials running?

In 9 countries. The most sites are in China (6 trials), United States (3 trials), France (1 trial), Canada (1 trial), Belgium (1 trial). Each study page lists its sites and which ones are recruiting.

What phases are they in?

Early Phase 1: 1. Trials with no phase listed are usually device, behavioural or observational studies.

How do I join one?

Open a study, check the "Is this trial a fit for you?" section, then contact the study team listed on the page. They will ask a few screening questions. Asking is free and does not commit you to anything. Talk it over with your doctor first.

Find the studies that fit you

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