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Operant Conditioning of Sensory Brain Responses to Reduce Phantom Limb Pain in People With Limb Amputation

NCT05880251 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2026-01-16

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The study will investigate the application of a non-pharmacological operant conditioning approach to reduce phantom limb pain (PLP). PLP afflicts 60-90% people who have lost a limb. It can last for years and lead to drug dependence, job loss, and poor quality of life. Current non-pharmacological interventions are encouraging but limited, and their efficacy remains unclear. Limb amputation is known to lead to abnormal sensorimotor reorganization in the brain. Multiple studies have shown that PLP severity is correlated with the extent of this reorganization. The current study will train participants via realtime feedback of brain responses to promote more normal sensorimotor response, with the goal to reduce phantom limb pain.

Conditions

  • Phantom Limb Pain After Amputation
  • Lower Limb Amputation
  • Upper Limb Amputation
  • Phantom Pain
  • Chronic Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Operant Conditioning with Peripheral Stimulation

This is a training intervention to strengthen the weakened sensorimotor responses and reduce pain, after a limb amputation. Non-painful peripheral stimulation will be applied to elicit a response.

BEHAVIORAL

Control Group with Peripheral Stimulation Only

This is a control intervention in which the non-painful peripheral stimulation will be applied, same as the operant conditioning group, but no training feedback will be provided.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • VA Office of Research and Development

    lead FED

Principal Investigators

  • Jodi A Brangaccio, PT · Albany VA Medical Center Samuel S. Stratton, Albany, NY

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2023-07-01
Primary Completion
2025-07-01
Completion
2025-08-29

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

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 NCT05880251 on ClinicalTrials.gov