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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation + Physical Exercise for Chronic Pain

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Guillaume Léonard, pht, PhD.

Research Sponsored by Université de Sherbrooke

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Be older than 18 years old

Must not have

To have contraindication to TMS

To have orthopedic limitation or contraindication to physical exercise

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up before intervention, follow-up 1 week after intervention, follow-up 1 month after intervention

Summary

This trial is testing whether adding transcranial direct current stimulation to physical exercises will help reduce chronic pain in elderly individuals with low corticospinal projections.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for elderly individuals with musculoskeletal chronic pain who haven't been very physically active (less than 150 minutes of exercise per week) and can maintain their current medication and lifestyle during the study. It's not suitable for those with uncontrolled heart disease, orthopedic issues preventing exercise, or contraindications to MRI, TMS, or tDCS.

What is being tested?

The trial is testing if adding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to physical exercises helps reduce chronic pain more effectively in elderly patients with low corticospinal projections compared to exercises alone.

What are the potential side effects?

Potential side effects from tDCS may include mild discomfort at the electrode site on the scalp, itching, tingling sensations during application, headache, fatigue and nausea. Physical exercise might cause muscle soreness or strain.

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I cannot undergo TMS due to health reasons.

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I cannot do physical exercises due to orthopedic reasons.

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I have a heart condition that is not well-managed.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ before intervention, follow-up 1 week after intervention, follow-up 1 month after intervention

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~before intervention, follow-up 1 week after intervention, follow-up 1 month after intervention

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and before intervention, follow-up 1 week after intervention, follow-up 1 month after intervention for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Changes in Pain intensity

Secondary study objectives

Beck anxiety inventory

Beck depression inventory

Brief pain inventory

+8 more

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Placebo Group

Group I: Exercise + real tDCSExperimental Treatment2 Interventions

Intervention will last 8 weeks where participants will be trained at a rate of 3 workouts per week. For the first week, participants will receive 5 daily sessions of anodal tDCS (2 mA, 20 min).

Group II: Exercise + Sham tDCSPlacebo Group1 Intervention

Intervention will last 8 weeks where participants will be trained at a rate of 3 workouts per week. For the first week, participants will receive 5 daily sessions of sham tDCS.

0 / 3Eligibility criteria met