Optimized tDCS for the Treatment of Migraine

Optimizing the Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for the Treatment of Migraine

The aim of this study is to establish an optimized protocol of tDCS that normalize the lack of habituation and efficiency of inhibitory cortical circuits in migraine patients and determine tDCS polarity and the best cortical areas to stimulate which could normalize the lack of habituation and efficiency of inhibitory cortical circuits. For this, migraineurs volunteers will undergo to some tDCS protocols or sham tDCS.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Migraine Disorders
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: anodal tDCS on M1; Procedure: cathodal tDCS on M1; Procedure: anodal tDCS on V1; Procedure: cathodal tDCS on V1; Procedure: anodal tDCS on M1 and cathodal on V1; Procedure: cathodal tDCS on M1 and anodal on V1; Procedure: sham tDCS

Detailed Description

A crossover trial to establish an optimized tDCS protocol will be accomplished. Anodal and cathodal tDCS will be applied over the primary motor cortex (C3 - active and contralateral supra-orbital region - reference) and visual cortex (Oz - active and Cz - reference). Dual tDCS (anodal and cathodal - optimized protocol) will be applied on C3 - active and Oz - active.

Electrical cortical activity will be assessed on 14 migraineurs through: (i) MEP; (ii) MT; (iii) SICI; (iv) ICF; (v) PT and (vi) visual evoked-potential (VEP-habituation). An interval of 48hs between sessions will be taken. The order of the sessions will be randomized and counterbalanced among volunteers by site www.randomization.com.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 14
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • Pernambuco
    • Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
      • Recruiting
      • Applied Neuroscience Laboratory

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 55 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ages: 18-55 years
• Gender: Both
• Presented diagnostic of episodic migraine with or without aura or probably migraine with or without aura according to the criteria for diagnosis of ICHD-III
• Disease duration of at least 12 months
• Without preventive medication for at least 6 months prior to initiation of treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnant women;
• Pacemaker;
• History of seizures;
• Metallic implants in the head;
• Patients with clinical evidence of brain injuries;
• Chronic pain associated to others diseases;
• Use of neuroleptic medications

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

7

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: anodal tDCS on M1; anodal tDCS on left primary motor cortex	Procedure: anodal tDCS on M1; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.
Experimental: cathodal tDCS on M1; cathodal tDCS on left primary motor cortex	Procedure: cathodal tDCS on M1; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.
Experimental: anodal tDCS on V1; anodal tDCS on visual cortex	Procedure: anodal tDCS on V1; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.
Experimental: cathodal tDCS on V1; cathodal tDCS on visual cortex	Procedure: cathodal tDCS on V1; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.
Experimental: anodal tDCS on M1 and cathodal on V1; dual tDCS - anodal tDCS on left primary motor cortex and cathodal on visual cortex	Procedure: anodal tDCS on M1 and cathodal on V1; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.
Experimental: cathodal tDCS on M1 and anodal on V1; dual tDCS - cathodal tDCS on left primary motor cortex and anodal on visual cortex	Procedure: cathodal tDCS on M1 and anodal on V1; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.
Sham Comparator: sham tDCS	Procedure: sham tDCS; The direct electric current will be applied by surface electrodes with 35cm² and composed of rubbers conductive electricity and surrounded by sponges soaked in saline solution. The electrodes position will be performed according the 10-20 international system of marking and the different montages will be realized by distinct applications sites. To stimuli the primary motor cortex the active electrode will be positioned on C3 point and the reference electrode on the contralateral supraorbital region. To visual cortex stimulation, the active electrode will be positioned on the Oz point and the reference on Cz. To duo stimulation, the two electrodes will be considerate actives, stimulating the visual and motor cortex simultaneously. The sham tDCS has already been used in several studies to assess the effect active tDCS and the duration of the current is only 30 seconds.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes on VAS	this scale will be used to measure the patients' pain intensity. VAS is an important instrument to verify, reliably, the patient's evolution during treatment. This scale will be used at beginning and end of each period (observation and treatment), before and after each tDCS session. For the VAS use, pain intensity will be asked to the patient. 0 cm means total pain absence and 10 cm is the level of maximum pain bearable by the patient.	through study completion, assessed up to 3 weeks (before and after each section)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes on Visual Evoked Potentials measures	volunteers will be invited to sit in a comfortable chair, in a calm and dark room, at 90 cm of distance from computer screen. It will be asked to fix his right eye visual field on a red point at the center of the screen (the left one will be blindfolded). Visual stimuli will be a black and White grid pattern, alternating at a frequency of 3.1 Hz. Electrodes used to record data will be localized on Oz and Fz points according International 10-20 system. During the test, 600 cortical answers will be recorded. Data will be collected and recorded in a personal computer, and after, converted to the ".txt" format to futures analysis with MATLAB.	through study completion, assessed up to 3 weeks (before and after each section)
Changes on motor evoked potentials	to measure MEP, the intensity of the magnetic stimulator will be adjusted to 120% of rest motor threshold and 10 stimuli will be registered. For evaluation volunteers will be instructed to sit in a chair and get into a comfortable position. Initially, single-pulse TMS will be administered over the motor cortex to determine the cortical representation area of the first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI). For all evaluations the same figure-eight coil is used, in order to avoid measurement bias. Amplitude means of evoked potentials will determine the MEP.	through study completion, assessed up to 3 weeks (before and after each section)
Changes on intracortical inhibition	to evaluate these variables, subthreshold conditioning stimuli (80% of RMT) and suprathreshold test stimuli (120% of RMT) will be delivered at an inter stimulus intervals (ISI) of 2 milliseconds, to determine the short interval cortical inhibition (SICI). The Intracortical facilitation (ICF) will be evaluated by the MEP average at an ISI of 10 milliseconds. Ten stimulus will be applied in each condition (unconditioned pulse, and pairs of stimuli with ISI of 2 and 10 milliseconds). The order of stimulus delivered will be pseudorandomized and SICI and ICF will be expressed as a percentage of a conditioned stimuli in regarding an unconditioned stimuli.	through study completion, assessed up to 3 weeks (before and after each section)
Changes on intracortical facilitation	to evaluate these variables, subthreshold conditioning stimuli (80% of RMT) and suprathreshold test stimuli (120% of RMT) will be delivered at an inter stimulus intervals (ISI) of 2 milliseconds, to determine the short interval cortical inhibition (SICI). The Intracortical facilitation (ICF) will be evaluated by the MEP average at an ISI of 10 milliseconds. Ten stimulus will be applied in each condition (unconditioned pulse, and pairs of stimuli with ISI of 2 and 10 milliseconds). The order of stimulus delivered will be pseudorandomized and SICI and ICF will be expressed as a percentage of a conditioned stimuli in regarding an unconditioned stimuli.	through study completion, assessed up to 3 weeks (before and after each section)
Changes from phosphene threshold	a 10-cm circular coil was used that has giving a peak magnetic field strength of 2 tesla. Subjects were asked to wear a blindfold, sit comfortably in a chair and to close their eyes to diminish ambient light.In sagittal line, three points were scored: 2, 3 and 4 cm above the inion. The single pulse TMS was applied to one of the points scored and the subject was asked to report the presence or absence of a phosphene immediately after stimulation. The stimulation was repeated ten times at each intensity with a maximum frequency of 0.2 Hz, stimulation was initially applied to 60% of the maximum intensity of the stimulator. The intensity of stimulation was changed into blocks of 5% to minimum intensity that the subject can perceive the phosphene certainly, five times ten, then this value was set as the PT.	through study completion, assessed up to 3 weeks (before and after each section)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2016
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): August 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Anticipated): April 1, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 22, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 28, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): September 29, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 11, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2016
• Last Verified: May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: transcranial direct current stimulation; pain; rehabilitation; electric stimulation therapy; migraine disorders
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Headache Disorders, Primary; Headache Disorders; Migraine Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: Optimizing_tDCS_Migraine