NCT07361692

Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Study of the Effectiveness of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Management of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 32 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Polyclinique de l'Europe · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive therapy increasingly used in facilities treating patients with chronic pain. This complementary therapy has the advantage of being non-pharmacological, with transient and mild side effects, an excellent safety profile, and good efficacy in the contexts where it has been the subject of dedicated research: neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia, and visceral pain. Few studies have focused on the application of tDCS in the context of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), which is a common condition.

Detailed description

This protocol aims to compare a group receiving a tDCS protocol with a sham control group. The hypothesis of this study is that tDCS is effective in treating CRPS in terms of reducing pain and the functional and emotional consequences of pain. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of tDCS on pain in patients with CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome), measured by the numerical pain scale (EN), after one month of treatment and one month after the end of treatment, compared to the sham arm. The secondary objectives are: * To assess anxiety and depression symptoms (HAD) * To assess the functional impact of pain (Concise Pain Questionnaire - QCD) * To assess central sensitization (Central Sensitization Inventory - CSI) * To identify adverse effects related to tDCS

Conditions

• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	transcranial direct current stimulation	progressive increase in stimulation intensity up to 2 mA, then continuation at a plateau for a total of 20 minutes, then a decrease in stimulation intensity for 30 seconds at the end of the session before an automatic stop.
OTHER	Placebo	The stimulation intensity is gradually increased up to 2 mA for 1 minute, then decreased to zero stimulation. A further increase in stimulation is programmed 10 minutes after the start of stimulation.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-01
• Primary completion: 2027-06-01
• Completion: 2027-06-01
• First posted: 2026-01-23
• Last updated: 2026-01-26