Effects of tDCS in M1 and DLPFC on Pain Processing in Healthy Volunteers

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Primary Cortex and Prefrontal Dorsolateral Cortex in Pain Processing on Healthy Volunteers: A Triple Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT04432363

Enrollment

Registered

2020-06-16

Start date

2020-06-06

Completion date

2020-07-25

Last updated

2020-10-30

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

Conditions

Pain Processing in Healthy Volunteers

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a direct current applied transcranial over two cortical areas on healthy volunteers' pain processing.

Interventions

DEVICETranscranial direct current stimulation

Direct current application over the scalp to stimulate and change the excitability of the cortical areas underneath the electrodes (in this case left primary motor cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex).

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Three groups cross over study with two intervention groups and one sham group.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 40 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Age between 18 and 40 years * Comprehension of the study tasks

Exclusion criteria

* Presence of pain in the previous 6 months * Altered sensitivity in the tested regions * Intolerance to electrotherapy * Presence of pacemakers or any other implanted device * Ulcers or scars in the skin at the location of the electrodes * Treatment with direct current stimulation within one week * Pregnancy * Frequent headaches * Epilepsy * History of neuromuscular disease * Previous clinical history of cervical surgery * Injuries or surgery affecting the upper limb * diabetes mellitus * Cardiovascular diseases * Oncological diseases * Consumption of analgesic drugs 7 days before the study

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Conditioned Pain Modulation	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Pain pressure threshold change after a painful ischemic stimulus
Pain pressure algometer temporal summation	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Change in pain perceived between the first and tenth painful pressure stimulus

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Neural mechanosensitivity	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Measurement of range of motion achieved until the perception of tension
Pain pressure threshold	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Measurement of pressure applied until the perception of pain
Isometric grip strength	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Maximal pressure achieved in a isometric gripping task
Cold hyperalgesia with a cold pack	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Pain rated in a visual analogue scale after 10 seconds of a cold stimulus
Pain pressure tolerance	Pre-intervention and immediately after treatment	Measurement of maximal painful pressure tolerate using a pressure algometer

Countries

Spain

Outcome results

None listed

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