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NCT Number: NCT07520955

Lily's Grace Temporal Interference

This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference (TES-TI) interventions to boost Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, decrease seizures and promote emotional health in patients with epilepsy. Up to 24 participants (8 control participants for technical optimization prior to recruitment and 16 patients with epilepsy) will be enrolled and can expect to be on study for up to 24 months.

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Key information

Conditions

Epilepsy Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Seizures Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

UW School of Medicine and Public Health

Madison, Wisconsin, 53792, United States

About this study

This is a Phase I randomized, single-blind, cross-over feasibility study comprised of 16 participants. Each participant will undergo structural and functional MRI then complete four nights of TES-TI stimulation and four nights of sham stimulation in counterbalanced order, separated by ≥1 day between visits.

Conditions on each visit are randomized and counterbalanced. During each visit, participants will complete both the REST-Q and SSS questionnaires. Full HD-EEG will be applied as well as 4-16 stimulation electrodes. Participants will then undergo an emotion regulation task (face task) wherein they are presented with positive, negative, or neutral emotional stimuli.

This is followed by a resting HD-EEG recording, then overnight stimulation. Either sham or non-sham (8 patients in each group) stimuli will be applied at times during the sleep period. Upon waking, the same questionnaires and emotion regulation tasks will be completed.

Objectives:

  • Assess the efficacy of TES-TI to boost sleep NREM slow-wave activity and spindles in patients with epilepsy overnight
  • Assess the efficacy of TES-TI to improve sleep quality and mood (REST-Q) and sleepiness (sleepiness scale) after treatment (4 nights) vs. before
  • Assess the efficacy of TES-TI to improve emotion responses (face task) and vigilance (psychomotor vigilance task; PVT) after treatment (4 nights) vs. before
  • Assess the efficacy of TES-TI to improve restorative quality of sleep (REST-Q questionnaire) after treatment (4 nights) vs. before
  • Assess the efficacy of TES-TI to reduce seizure frequency (self-reported) after treatment (4 nights) vs. before

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • English-speaking (able to provide consent and complete questionnaires)
  • Citizen or holding permanent resident status
  • History of refractory epilepsy with intractable seizures and/or cognitive decline

Exclusion criteria

  • Any current or past history of neurological disorders or acquired neurological disease other than epilepsy (e.g. stroke, traumatic brain injury), including intracranial lesions
  • 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.)
  • Possible pregnancy or plan to become pregnant in the next 6 months
  • Any metal in the head
  • Any metal in the body
  • Any medical devices or implants (i.e. cardiac pacemaker, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, vagal nerve stimulator) unless otherwise approved by the responsible MD
  • Dental implants
  • Permanent retainers
  • Claustrophobia (a fear of small or closed places)
  • Back problems that would prevent lying flat for several hours
  • Regular night-shift work (second or third shift)

Treatment and study plan

TES-TI

Device

Real stimulation will take place on visits 2 - 5 or visits 6 - 10.

Other names: Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference

Sham stimulation

Other

Sham stimulation will take place on visits 2 - 5 or visits 6 - 10.

Structural and Functional MRI

Other

After baseline night visit 1 and before intervention visits 2 - 10. MRI is used to help determine electrode placement.

Other names: EEG-fMRI, anatomic MRI

Primary outcomes

  1. NREM Sleep Slow-Wave Activity Measured by High-Density EEG (delta power)

    Time frame: measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

    To assess the effect of TES-TI on NREM sleep slow-wave activity during treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights), slow-wave activity will be measured by high-density EEG.

  2. Number of Seizures per week

    Time frame: data collected at 4 time points up to 24 months on study, 1 month and 3 month follow up after completion of 4 nights treatment and 1 month and 3 month follow up after completion 4 nights sham condition

    To assess the effect of TES-TI on incidence of seizures after treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights), participants will maintain a seizure diary. The self-reported number of seizures seizures per week for the first week and the first four-weeks post-intervention.

  3. Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT)

    Time frame: measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

    The vigilance task will be used to assess the effect of TES-TI on performance after treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights). This is a computerized reaction time task where a participant is presented with a fixation point on a computer screen. At random, the fixation point will change appearance at which point the participant is to click a provided button as quickly as possible. The time it took to respond is recorded automatically by the computer program and will be reported as the result.

  4. Restorative Sleep Questionnaire (REST-Q)

    Time frame: measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

    The REST-Q measure will be used to assess the effect of TES-TI on sleep quality and mood after treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights). It is a 9-item questionnaire assessing aspects of restorative sleep. Each item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (1-light; 5-deep). Final scores are transformed to a scale of 0-100 here higher scores indicate more restorative sleep.

  5. Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS)

    Time frame: measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

    The Stanford Sleepiness Scale will be used to assess sleepiness after treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights). SSS is a measure of subjective alertness on a 7-point scale (total range of scores from 1-7). A lower score on the scale indicates higher alertness.

  6. Emotional Processing Task (Face Task): Percent Correct

    Time frame: measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

    The Face Task will be used to assess the effect of TES-TI on emotion response after treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights). This task involves viewing a series of emotionally charged images (60 positive, 60 negative, 60 neutral).

  7. Emotional Processing Task (Face Task): Percent Change in Reaction Time

    Time frame: measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

    The Face Task will be used to assess the effect of TES-TI on emotion response after treatment (4 nights) vs. sham (4 nights). This task involves viewing a series of emotionally charged images (60 positive, 60 negative, 60 neutral).

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Beril Mat, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

Melanie Boly, MD, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

608-263-4338

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Other

Collaborators

  • Lily's Fund for Epilepsy Research

Registry information

Official study title

Using Temporal Interference to Non-Invasively Enhance Sleep Homeostasis in Patients With Epilepsy

Acronym: SLEEP-TIES

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2028
Study completion
2028
First posted
Apr 9, 2026
Registry last updated
Jul 23, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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