NCT04650048

Modulation of an Experimental Prolonged Pain Model Using High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Aalborg University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 60 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this double-blinded, parallel group randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) on an experimental prolonged pain model in healthy subjects.

Detailed description

The purpose of this double-blinded, parallel group randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effects of high definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) on an experimental prolonged pain model in healthy subjects. Forty healthy participants are administered the compound Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in the right first dorsal interosseous muscle (FDI), which produced prolonged muscle soreness and hyperalgesia. The forty participants are randomly allocated to either the control group receiving a Sham-tDCS paradigm, or the intervention group receiving three consecutive days of multimodal HD-tDCS targeting primary motor cortex (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) simultaneously. The somatosensory profile is assessed at baseline, before administration of NGF as well as prior and post each HD-tDCS session using standardised quantitative sensory testing. It is hypothesised that the active HD-tDCS will modulate the neurological changes induced by the experimental pain condition, which will alleviate the hyperalgesia and hypersensitivity.

Conditions

• Pain, Muscle
• Healthy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Active HD-tDCS	Using the Starstim 32, HD-tDCS equipment we provide 20 minutes of 2 mA anodal multimodal stimulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and primary motor cortex simultaneously using ring-cathode configurations around the two anodes.
DEVICE	Sham HD-tDCS	Using the Starstim 32, HD-tDCS equipment we provide sham stimulation with 30 seconds of ramping up to 2 mA intensity, then turning off for 19 minutes and then ramping down from 2 mA intensity to 0 in the last 30 seconds. This sham-configuration is intended to mimic the sensory experience of active HD-tDCS.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-08-01
• Primary completion: 2021-02-01
• Completion: 2021-04-29
• First posted: 2020-12-02
• Last updated: 2020-12-02

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Denmark