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Relieving Chronic Pain in Older Adults With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

NCT05617027 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 150

Last updated 2025-03-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The primary objective of this study is to determine, in a healthcare setting, the effectiveness of actual tDCS in reducing pain compared with placebo tDCS. This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial with parallel groups (real tDCS vs. placebo) blinded to participants, assessors and tDCS providers. The real tDCS group will receive a daily 20-minute session of tDCS (current intensity = 2 mA), for 5 consecutive days, while the placebo tDCS group will receive an equivalent treatment, but the current will be stopped after the first 30 seconds. The study will take place in 5 rehabilitation clinics in 3 Quebec regions. One hundred and fifty (150) seniors aged 65 years or older with chronic (\> 6 months), moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain will be recruited (50 participants/region). Follow-ups will take place at 1 week and 3 months post-treatment. The primary dependent variable is pain intensity (numerical scale from 0 to 10). Secondary variables will be measured using standardized and validated questionnaires: 1) pain-related interferences (physical function, mood, quality of life) and 2) perception of post-TDCS changes. Neurophysiological measures (pain control pathways).

Conditions

  • Pain, Chronic

Interventions

OTHER

actual transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

tDCS is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that would influence the brain's pain control mechanisms. The anode is attached to the skull above the M1 opposite the painful side (in case of unilateral pain) or opposite the dominant hand (in case of bilateral pain). The cathode (at the supraorbital level opposite the stimulated M1) will be positioned using the 10-20 EEG system and the tDCS intensity will be 2 mA.

OTHER

placebo transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

The anode is attached to the skull above the M1 opposite the painful side (in case of unilateral pain) or opposite the dominant hand (in case of bilateral pain). The cathode (at the supraorbital level opposite the stimulated M1) will be positioned using the 10-20 EEG system and the tDCS intensity will be 2 mA for 30 secondes, and then 0 mA for the rest of the 20-minute session.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

    collaborator OTHER_GOV

  • Université de Sherbrooke

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Guillume Léonard · Université de Sherbrooke

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-10-19
Primary Completion
2025-05-15
Completion
2025-06-01

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT05617027 on ClinicalTrials.gov