Relieving Chronic Pain in Older Adults With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Status: Recruiting
Location: See all (3) locations...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

The primary objective of this study is to determine, in a healthcare setting, the effectiveness of actual tDCS in reducing pain compared with placebo tDCS. This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial with parallel groups (real tDCS vs. placebo) blinded to participants, assessors and tDCS providers. The real tDCS group will receive a daily 20-minute session of tDCS (current intensity = 2 mA), for 5 consecutive days, while the placebo tDCS group will receive an equivalent treatment, but the current will be stopped after the first 30 seconds. The study will take place in 5 rehabilitation clinics in 3 Quebec regions. One hundred and fifty (150) seniors aged 65 years or older with chronic (\> 6 months), moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain will be recruited (50 participants/region). Follow-ups will take place at 1 week and 3 months post-treatment. The primary dependent variable is pain intensity (numerical scale from 0 to 10). Secondary variables will be measured using standardized and validated questionnaires: 1) pain-related interferences (physical function, mood, quality of life) and 2) perception of post-TDCS changes. Neurophysiological measures (pain control pathways).

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 65
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Be aged ≥ 65 years

• Have chronic (≥ 6 months) musculoskeletal pain of moderate to severe intensity (≥4 out of 10 on a numerical scale of 0 to 10)

Locations
Other Locations
Canada
Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal (IURDPM)
RECRUITING
Montreal
CHU de Québec-Université Laval
RECRUITING
Québec
Centre de recherche sur le vieillissement (CdRV)
RECRUITING
Sherbrooke
Contact Information
Primary
Marie-Philippe Harvey, Ph. D
marie.philippe.harvey@usherbrooke.ca
819 821-8000
Backup
Guillaume Léonard, Ph. D
guillaume.leonard2@usherbrooke.ca
819-780-2220
Time Frame
Start Date: 2023-10-19
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-06-01
Participants
Target number of participants: 150
Treatments
Experimental: actual tDCS
The actual transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) intervention will be conducted by a physiotherapist who will perform 5 sessions of actual tDCS , 5 consecutive days, for 20 minutes of treatment for a total of 45 minutes at the clinic for each session.~The tDCS current will be 2 mA for the whole 20-minute session.
Placebo_comparator: placebo tDCS
The placebo transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) intervention will be conducted by a physiotherapist who will perform 5 sessions of placebo tDCS, 5 consecutive days, for 20 minutes of treatment for a total of 45 minutes at the clinic for each session.~The tDCS current will be 2 mA for 30 secondes, and then will strop for the rest of the 20-minute session (programming of the equipment).
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Leads: Université de Sherbrooke

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov