ACTION: Trial of Adding Buprenorphine, CBT, and TMS to Improve Outcomes of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain (ACTION)

November 2, 2026 updated by: Medical University of South Carolina

Sequential Trial of Adding Buprenorphine, Cognitive Behavioral Treatment, and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to Improve Outcomes of Long-Term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain (ACTION)

This study will sequentially evaluate three novel and scalable interventions for at-risk individuals on long term opioid therapy for chronic pain: (1) low-dose transdermal buprenorphine initiation without a period of opioid withdrawal; (2) a brief Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for pain (CBI); and (3) "accelerated" rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, by examining standardized repeated measures of clinical outcomes at baseline, during treatment, and at 4-, 12-, 24- and 52-week follow-up.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

With little evidence available to guide the provision of clinical care for patients on long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) in whom the risks outweigh the benefits, major questions remain about optimizing the risk/benefit profile of LTOT, including: how to best engage patients voluntarily in this process; the safety, tolerability and effectiveness of newer treatment approaches; and optimal treatment selection. The primary objective of the proposed study is to begin to systematically address gaps in this important area to improve pain, reduce risk, and improve quality of life for individuals on LTOT.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

240

Phase

  • Phase 2
  • Phase 1

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

    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29407
        • Recruiting
        • Medical University of South Carolina
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Kelly Barth

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

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion criteria:

Age >/= 18 years

English-speaking

On LTOT, defined as taking prescription opioid therapy for 90 days or more

Past week average morphine equivalent dose (MED) >/= 20mg

Willing and able to complete written informed consent

Willing and able to use a mobile/cell phone

Have at least one additional risk for opioid toxicity or overdose from the following list:

Opioid Toxicity or Overdose Risks:

  1. Taking benzodiazepines with opioids
  2. Substance Use Disorder diagnosis [non-tobacco; Opioid Risk Tool]

2) Having ever experienced an overdose 4) Current major medical problem [e.g. mod-severe liver disease, pancreatitis, chronic pulmonary disease, untreated sleep apnea, hospitalized for an acute medical issue in the past 6 months]a,b 5) Response to BPI Item 8 <30%, suggesting less than moderately clinically meaningful response to pain treatmentc 6) Co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis [Opioid Risk Tool] 7) Signs of opioid misuse [any score >0 on the following COMM Items: 3,4,5,9,10,11,14,15,16] 8)Opioid Risk Tool >3 or Current Opioid Misuse Measure ≥ 9 9) Struggling with any of the following side effects from opioids [self-report]

  1. Dizziness and/or falls
  2. Difficult-to-manage stomach pain, nausea, constipation or GI issues
  3. Fatigue or low energy
  4. Sleepiness or sedation
  5. Trouble with memory or thinking clearly [COMM Item 1>0]
  6. Other troublesome side effect [open answer]

Exclusion criteria:

Known allergy to buprenorphine

Active moderate or severe substance use disorder with the exception of those listed below:

  1. . Those with nicotine use disorder.
  2. . Those meeting criteria for prescription opioid use disorder using only prescribed opioids will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Cognitive disorder limiting ability to consent or fully participate in the brief cognitive intervention

Receiving methadone or buprenorphine treatment for OUD or pain

Taking naltrexone

Pregnancy

Currently incarcerated

Taking medications that prolong QTc interval, as determined by study investigators

Personal/immediate family history of Long QT Syndrome.

Significant or unstable condition/s or treatments that may impact safe participation in the study (as determined by the study investigators) such as significant cardiac condition (e.g. poorly-controlled heart failure, current or past cardiac arrhythmia, sustained systolic blood pressure >180), significant metabolic disorder (e.g. labile diabetes, significant electrolyte abnormality), cancer (e.g. brain cancer, chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment), major psychiatric disorder (e.g. active bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorder, suicidal/homicidal intent within the past month, or any suicide attempts within the past year or current active suicidal ideation, as determined by medical clinician), developmental disorder (e.g. autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability), or other neurologic disease (e.g. movement disorder, multiple sclerosis, moderate to severe brain injury).

Enrolled in a clinical trial or has received an investigational medication or device in the last 30 days.

TMS contraindications (e.g., ferromagnetic implants, conditions or treatments that lower seizure threshold, taking contraindicated medications, no identifiable motor threshold, as determined by study investigators).

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: Sequential Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: open label BUP

Buprenorphine patch dosing will be individualized based on each participant's current morphine-equivalent dose (per package insert/recommendations; between 5mcg and 20mcg per hour). Dosage based on baseline MEQ (<30 MEQ = 5mcg/hr patch, 30-80 MEQ =10-15mcg/hour patch; >80 MEQ = 20mcg/hour patch), which will remain on for 7 days (Phase Ia Days 1-7), as tolerated

Active Comparator: Real vs Placebo BUP

Buprenorphine patch dosing will be individualized based on each participant's current morphine-equivalent dose (per package insert/recommendations; between 5mcg and 20mcg per hour). Dosage based on baseline MEQ (<30 MEQ = 5mcg/hr patch, 30-80 MEQ =10-15mcg/hour patch; >80 MEQ = 20mcg/hour patch), which will remain on for 7 days (Phase Ia Days 1-7), as tolerated

double-blinded randomization to placebo or transdermal buprenorphine

Active Comparator: Real vs Sham TMS

double-blinded randomization to REAL intermittent theta burst (iTBS) rTMS

double-blinded randomization to SHAM intermittent theta burst (iTBS) rTMS

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Intervention Tolerability
Time Frame: up to Day-13

(a) Tolerability of open-label transdermal buprenorphine, defined as the proportion of eligible patients who do not discontinue buprenorphine due to adverse effects, preference, or intolerance. (b) Tolerability of TMS/sham, defined as tolerating 10 sessions of accelerated rTMS

up to Day-13
Pain Severity
Time Frame: up to Day-20

Pain severity is measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Severity Scale and is typically scored as the mean of the four severity items ("average," "worst," "least," "now," range 0-10) with a higher score being worse.

This outcome will be measured after both the buprenorphine vs. placebo trial and the TMS vs. sham trial.

up to Day-20

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Buprenorphine Transition Rate
Time Frame: Day-20

Buprenorphine transition rate defined as the proportion of participants who spontaneously elect to continue buprenorphine after Phase I.

Day-20
Quality of Life
Time Frame: up to Day-20

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Preference (PROPr) score summarizes multiple domains into a single score anchored at 0 (as bad as dead) and 1 (perfect or ideal health). This score quantifies the value that individuals place on different states of health.

PROPr is calculated from the scores for the 7 PROMIS domains: Cognition, Depression, Fatigue, Pain Interference, Physical Function, Sleep Disturbance, and Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities.

This outcome will be measured after both the buprenorphine vs. placebo trial and the TMS vs. sham trial.

up to Day-20
Pain Interference
Time Frame: up to Day-20

BPI Interference Scale (lowest score 0, highest 40; higher worse)

up to Day-20
Pain Catastrophizing
Time Frame: up to Day-20

Pain Catastrophizing Scale SF 6 (lowest score 0, highest score 24; higher worse)

up to Day-20
Patient Global Impression of Change
Time Frame: up to Day-20

range 1-7, higher worse

up to Day-20
Opioid misuse risk
Time Frame: up to Day-20

Current opioid Misuse Measure (COMM

up to Day-20

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Collaborators

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Kelly Barth, 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)

August 12, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

March 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 29, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 29, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

June 4, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 2, 2026

Last Verified

November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Pro00130123
  • 1R01DA058620 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

Yes

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

Yes

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.