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Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Pain Relief

Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Pain Relief

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04283643
Enrollment
149
Registered
2020-02-25
Start date
2019-04-01
Completion date
2021-04-01
Last updated
2020-02-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pain, Acute, Pain, Chronic, Pain, Experimental

Keywords

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Focused Ultrasound, Noninvasive Neuromodulation

Brief summary

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS), is be applied to healthy human subjects, acute pain patients, and chronic pain patients to investigate their uses for pain relief.

Detailed description

The research team will be using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial focused ultrasound (FUS) to investigate their uses for pain relief in humans: healthy human subjects, acute pain patients, and chronic pain patients. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings will be collected to achieve the following objectives: Objective 1 aims to determine the effects of noninvasive brain stimulation on the pain-related brain activities during pain processing. We hypothesize that noninvasive brain stimulation approaches will increase or decrease cortical activity upon processing painful input. Objective 2 aims to determine the effects of noninvasive brain stimulation on pain intensity and/or pain-related behavioral assessments. We hypothesize that noninvasive brain stimulation will influence pain-intensity and/or pain-related behavioral assessments. Objective 3 aims to investigate the correlation between brain activity and pain relief after noninvasive brain stimulation. We hypothesize that noninvasive brain stimulation will suppress cortical activity in pain-related brain areas, reduce pain intensity, and/or improve pain-related behavioral assessments.

Interventions

Non-invasive brain stimulation technique

OTHERTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation

Non-invasive brain stimulation technique

Sponsors

University of Virginia
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

Within subjects design of real and control stimulation, pain measures and behavioral assessments may be compared between healthy subjects and pain groups.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Healthy adults between 18 and 80 years of age. * Chronic and Acute pain patients: must have an MRI (for ultrasound targeting)

Exclusion criteria

* Direct report to the study team member * History of brain surgery * History of seizure * Pregnant * Have alcohol consumption exceeding 50 drinks/month * Have history of opioid abuse (all subjects), or any recent opioid use (healthy controls) * Have implant like pacemaker and aneurysm clip * Current of psychiatric disease such as anxiety or depression, which is not optimally treated * Current infection * Current wound on the skin of upper and lower extremities * Chronic pain patients: current chronic pain is not optimal controlled by pain medications (i.e. Pain VAS \>5)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Numeric Pain Rating Scaleimmediately after brain stimulation (same day, approximately 5-10 minutes after baseline) as compared to baselineParticipants will rate their pain (experimental, acute, chronic) on a 1-10 scale

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026