Lily's Grace Temporal Interference (SLEEP-TIES)

May 28, 2026 updated by: University of Wisconsin, Madison

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

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

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

24

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Wisconsin
      • Madison, Wisconsin, United States, 53792
        • UW School of Medicine and Public Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

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)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Sham Stimulation then Real Stimulation
Each participant will undergo structural and functional MRI then eight nights of intervention with possible sham or non-sham stimulation conditions.
Device: TES-TI
Real stimulation will take place on visits 2 - 5 or visits 6 - 10.
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference
Other: Sham Stimulation
Sham stimulation will take place on visits 2 - 5 or visits 6 - 10.
Other: Structural and Functional MRI
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
Experimental: Real Stimulation then Sham Stimulation
Each participant will undergo structural and functional MRI then eight nights of intervention with possible sham or non-sham stimulation conditions.
Device: TES-TI
Real stimulation will take place on visits 2 - 5 or visits 6 - 10.
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Electrical Stimulation with Temporal Interference
Other: Sham Stimulation
Sham stimulation will take place on visits 2 - 5 or visits 6 - 10.
Other: Structural and Functional MRI
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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
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.
measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study
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.
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
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.
measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study
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.
measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study
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.
measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study
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).
measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study
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).
measured during 8 overnight visits, data collected up to 24 months on study

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Collaborators

Lily's Fund for Epilepsy Research

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Melanie Boly, MD, PhD, UW School of Medicine and Public Health

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

April 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 2, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 2, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 29, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 28, 2026

Last Verified

April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025-1852
  • SMPH | NRL Neurology (Other Identifier: UW Madison)
  • Protocol Version 2/17/26 (Other Identifier: UW Madison)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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