NCT05587140

Effects of TENS on Pain Threshold and Brain Activities in Healthy Adults

Effects of Conventional Versus Acupuncture-like TENS on Pain Threshold and Brain Activities in Healthy Adults

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study was to understand the effects of conventional versus acupuncture-like TENS on pain threshold, brain activities, and their relationships.

Detailed description

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a pain modulation tool which is commonly used clinically. TENS has 2 major modes: "conventional TENS'' and "acupuncture like TENS". Conventional TENS induces a local pain modulation, whereas acupuncture like TENS induces central pain modulation mechanism. The pain threshold at treatment area and outside of area is regarded as local pain modulation and central pain modulation respectively. However, the effect of acupuncture like TENS on pain threshold was remained unclear. TENS also induces cortical activities changed in the central nervous system. Recent Electroencephalography (EEG) studies suggested that TENS induces event-related potential and power spectrum changes, however, the time and frequency bands of EEG changes and its relationship with pain threshold were still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the effects of conventional versus acupuncture-like TENS on pain threshold, brain activities, and their relationships.

Conditions

• Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation
• Electroencephalography
• Pressure Pain Threshold

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Acupuncture like TENS	Frequency: 4 Hz, pulse duration: 200 μs, intensity: 3/10 painful sensation with muscle contraction , time: 30 minutes
DEVICE	Conventional TENS	Frequency: 100 Hz, pulse duration: 200 μs, intensity: strong but comfortable tingling sensation , time: 30 minutes
DEVICE	Sham TENS	Frequency: 4 Hz, pulse duration: 200 μs, intensity: tingling sensation, time: turn on the electricity for 15 seconds, then turn off the machine for 30 minutes

Timeline

• Start date: 2022-08-31
• Primary completion: 2023-04-30
• Completion: 2023-04-30
• First posted: 2022-10-19
• Last updated: 2022-10-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Taiwan