Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Pain Perception (tDCS-CBT)

December 3, 2018 updated by: Medical University of South Carolina
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a new medical technology can temporarily alter pain perception. The new technology is called Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Healthy subjects underwent thermal pain tolerance testing pre- and post intervention. The intervention includes either anodal, cathodal, or sham tDCS for 20 minutes during a pain cognitive intervention [either brief cognitive intervention (BCI) or general pain education]. The tDCS brand was the Phoresor-II Auto (Model PM850, Iomed, Salt Lake City Utah, USA) and the current was set to 2.0mA. Electrodes were 4x4 cm sponge electrodes soaked in sterile saline. For anodal and cathodal tDCS, One electrode was placed over the left DLPFC (F3 from the EEG 10-20 system) located via the Beam F3 measurement system and the other electrode was attached to the right shoulder. For sham tDCS, the device was turned on for 30 seconds to temporarily mimic tingling and skin sensations of real tDCS and then ramped-down to 0mA for the duration of the 20-minute session.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
79

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • 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 Locations

  • United States
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
        • Medical University of South Carolina

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

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 75 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 100 Health Individuals recruited from Charleston ,SC

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Can not be pregnant
  • No history of Depression, chronic pain, Seizers, suicidal implanted metal devices, history of brain surgery, loss of consciousness.

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: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: anodal tDCS plus BCI
Participants underwent Brief Cognitive intervention (BCI) during a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode electrode placed over the left DLPFC and the cathode electrode attached to the right shoulder (Brand Phoresor-II Auto) . BCI entails listening to a 3-minute audio recording designed to mimic key components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for pain.
Device: anodal tDCS
a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode electrode placed over the left DLPFC and the cathode electrode attached to the right shoulder
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Phoresor-II Auto
Active Comparator: anodal tDCS plus pain-education

Participants were provided pain education during a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode electrode placed over the left DLPFC and the cathode electrode attached to the right shoulder.

Pain Education information included Pain Physiology, info on the Gate Theory of Pain, and Central Pain Processing.
Device: anodal tDCS
a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode electrode placed over the left DLPFC and the cathode electrode attached to the right shoulder
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Phoresor-II Auto
Experimental: cathodal tDCS plus BCI
Participants underwent Brief Cognitive intervention (BCI) during a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode attached to the right shoulder and the cathode electrode placed over the left DLPFC. BCI entails listening to a 3-minute audio recording designed to mimic key components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for pain.
Device: cathodal tDCS
a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode attached to the right shoulder and the cathode electrode placed over the left DLPFC.
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Phoresor-II Auto
Experimental: cathodal tDCS plus pain-education
Participants were provided pain education during a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode electrode attached to the right shoulder and the cathode electrode was placed over the left DLPFC. Pain Education information included Pain Physiology, info on the Gate Theory of Pain, and Central Pain Processing.
Device: cathodal tDCS
a single 20-minute session of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode attached to the right shoulder and the cathode electrode placed over the left DLPFC.
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Phoresor-II Auto
Sham Comparator: sham tDCS plus BCI
Participants underwent Brief Cognitive intervention (BCI) during 20 minutes of sham tDCS. For sham, the device was turned on for 30 seconds to temporarily mimic tingling and skin sensations of real tDCS and then ramped-down to 0mA for the duration of the 20-minute session.
Device: sham tDCS
Participants were provided pain education during 20 minutes of sham tDCS. For sham, the device was turned on for 30 seconds to temporarily mimic tingling and skin sensations of real tDCS and then ramped-down to 0mA for the duration of the 20-minute session
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Phoresor-II Auto
Sham Comparator: sham tDCS plus pain-education
Participants were provided pain education during 20 minutes of sham tDCS. For sham, the device was turned on for 30 seconds to temporarily mimic tingling and skin sensations of real tDCS and then ramped-down to 0mA for the duration of the 20-minute session. Pain Education information included Pain Physiology, info on the Gate Theory of Pain, and Central Pain Processing.
Device: sham tDCS
Participants were provided pain education during 20 minutes of sham tDCS. For sham, the device was turned on for 30 seconds to temporarily mimic tingling and skin sensations of real tDCS and then ramped-down to 0mA for the duration of the 20-minute session
Other Names:
  • Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
  • Phoresor-II Auto

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pre-Intervention Pain Tolerance
Time Frame: Duration of the study visit, approximately 2 hours
Participants will undergo comprehensive laboratory pain assessment including hot and cold, sensory and pain threshold assessment using the Method of Limits with the Pathway Thermo-sensory Analyzer System (Medoc Inc., NC) which is specifically designed for assessing laboratory pain perception.
Duration of the study visit, approximately 2 hours
Post-Intervention Pain Tolerance
Time Frame: Duration of the study visit, approximately 2 hours
Participants will undergo comprehensive laboratory pain assessment including hot and cold, sensory and pain threshold assessment using the Method of Limits with the Pathway Thermo-sensory Analyzer System (Medoc Inc., NC) which is specifically designed for assessing laboratory pain perception.
Duration of the study visit, approximately 2 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percentage of Participants That Correctly Guessed Condition Assignment
Time Frame: 2 hours
Participants guessed whether they received real tDCS or Sham tDCS. The base-rate for correctly guessing real versus sham was 50%.
2 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Medical University of South Carolina

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Borckardt, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina

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 (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 21, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 22, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 23, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
December 4, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 3, 2018

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • Pro00019694

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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