tDCS for Reducing the Incidence of OEI After Cesarean Section

September 16, 2026 updated by: Chaochao Zhong, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University

Study on the Preventive and Therapeutic Effects and Mechanism of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Morphine-Induced Itching After Cesarean Section: A Randomized Clinical Controlled Trial

Cesarean section is the most common obstetric surgery worldwide. Epidural anesthesia has become the preferred anesthesia method for cesarean sections due to its definite analgesic effect and minimal impact on mother and baby. To ensure postoperative analgesia, intrathecal administration of morphine (the preferred opioid for obstetric intrathecal analgesia) is a routine clinical protocol, but morphine-induced postoperative pruritus is a common adverse reaction. A study targeting the cesarean section population confirmed that the incidence of pruritus after epidural morphine administration is as high as 40%-75%.Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance the activity of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons in the spinal dorsal horn through the cortical-spinal descending pathway, reverse the inhibitory effect of morphine on them, and restore negative feedback regulation of itch-specific GRPR⁺ neurons; at the same time, it downregulates the phosphorylation level and membrane expression of μ-opioid receptors in the spinal dorsal horn, weakening the receptor activation efficiency of morphine. On the other hand, tDCS can reduce peripheral nerve excitability, decrease mast cell degranulation in the skin, and reduce the release of histamine and tryptase; simultaneously, it inhibits the activation of glial cells in the spinal cord/cortex, decreases the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors such as TNF-α and IL-6, and blocks the vicious cycle of 'inflammation-receptor upregulation-itch exacerbation,' thereby reducing the occurrence of itch.This study aims to explore the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the incidence of morphine-induced itching after cesarean section by inhibiting the central itch perception circuits in cesarean section patients and antagonizing the disinhibitory effects mediated by μ-opioid receptors in the spinal dorsal horn.

Study Overview

Status

Status

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

Conditions

Conditions

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Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

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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 (Estimated)

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.
104

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

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Study Contact

Study Contact

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Study Locations

  • China
    • Jiangsu
      • Nantong, Jiangsu, China, 226001
        • Recruiting
        • Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

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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

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-40 years, gestational age 37-41 weeks, singleton full-term pregnancy;
  • Planned elective or emergency cesarean section, using epidural anesthesia (0.1~0.2 mg/kg of morphine administered intrathecally during surgery);
  • American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification I-III;
  • Conscious and able to cooperate to complete scale assessments, serum sample collection, and postoperative follow-up;
  • Voluntarily participate in the study and sign the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of contraindications for tDCS (such as skull defects, intracranial metal implants, history of epilepsy, coagulation disorders);
  • Allergy to opioids or a history of severe OEI;
  • Presence of skin diseases (such as eczema, urticaria), liver diseases (cholestasis), mental disorders, or cognitive impairments;
  • Coexisting pregnancy complications (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, autoimmune diseases);
  • Use of medications within the past week that may affect itch assessment, such as antihistamines, 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, or anti-inflammatory drugs.

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: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

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.
Sham Comparator: control group (sham stimulation group)
Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (placebo stimulation)
Sham stimulation group (control group): The anode of the electrical stimulator is placed on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3 region) and the cathode on the right mastoid area. A current of 1.5 mA is applied only during the first 30 seconds after the start of stimulation, after which the current is reduced to 0 mA. All other procedures (electrode placement, stimulation duration, intervention frequency) are the same as those in the experimental group.
Experimental: Case group (tDCS group)
Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation
Patients in the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) group had the anode of the tDCS device placed on the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (F3 area) and the cathode on the right mastoid. The tDCS was administered on the day of surgery (starting within 5 minutes after delivery of the fetus and ending upon transfer to the PACU after surgery). The current intensity was 1.5 mA.

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
Incidence of itching within 24 hours after surgery (defined as VAS itching score ≥1)
Time Frame: 24 hours after surgery
The VAS scoring standard for the degree of itching is a tool used to assess the severity of itching. VAS stands for Visual Analog Scale. The following are the standards for VAS scoring of itching severity: 0 points: No itching. 1-3 points: Mild itching, does not affect daily life. 4-6 points: Moderate itching, somewhat affects daily life. 7-9 points: Severe itching, seriously affects daily life, requires active treatment. 10 points: Extremely severe itching, unbearable, requires immediate treatment.
24 hours after surgery

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
Time Frame
Incidence of itching at 12 and 48 hours postoperatively; VAS scores for itching at each time point; duration of itching and time of peak appearance
Time Frame: 12 hours post-operation and 48 hours post-operation
12 hours post-operation and 48 hours post-operation
Number of times the analgesic pump was pressed and the doses of additional morphine within 48 hours postoperatively; VAS pain scores at 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively
Time Frame: 12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after surgery
12 hours, 24 hours, and 48 hours after surgery
Maternal adverse reactions (nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, ear pain, skin erythema) incidence; neonatal 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores, birth weight, complications within 72 hours (jaundice, shortness of breath, feeding difficulties)
Time Frame: Within 72 hours after surgery
Within 72 hours after surgery
Preoperative and postoperative 24h serum histaminelevels
Time Frame: 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
Preoperative and postoperative 24h trypsin-like enzymelevels
Time Frame: 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
Preoperative and postoperative 24h TNF-α levels
Time Frame: 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
Preoperative and postoperative 24h IL-6 levels
Time Frame: 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
Preoperative and postoperative 24h β-endorphin levels
Time Frame: 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
Preoperative and postoperative 24h gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP) levels
Time Frame: 24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery
24 hours before surgery and 24 hours after surgery

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.
Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University

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.
May 10, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

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.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

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.
February 20, 2027

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).
April 23, 2026

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.
April 29, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

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 6, 2026

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.
September 17, 2026

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.
September 16, 2026

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.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

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.
  • 2026-K102-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

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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