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Pain Education + tDCS for Chronic Lower Back Pain

N/A
Waitlist Available
Research Sponsored by High Point University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up completed prior to first intervention session and immediately following final intervention sessions
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial is testing if a cognitive-behavioral intervention combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can reduce pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, and hypersensitivity to pressure stimuli in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults aged 18-65 with chronic low back pain lasting at least 3 months, experiencing pain on most days over the past half year, and high levels of pain catastrophizing and fear of movement. Excluded are those with neuropathy, pregnancy, certain medication use, previous back surgery or psychiatric illness requiring meds, inability to sit for long periods, specific diseases like Raynaud's or rheumatoid arthritis, substance abuse issues, neurological disorders or contraindications to tDCS.
What is being tested?
The study tests if combining Pain Neuroscience Education (PNE) with Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) can reduce exaggerated pain responses and fear of movement in people with chronic lower back pain. It also explores how these treatments might affect brain networks related to cognitive-affective aspects of chronic pain.
What are the potential side effects?
Potential side effects from tDCS may include mild tingling or itching under the electrode during application; headache; fatigue; nausea; and less commonly insomnia. PNE generally does not have physical side effects but could cause emotional discomfort when confronting beliefs about pain.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~completed prior to first intervention session and immediately following final intervention sessions
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and completed prior to first intervention session and immediately following final intervention sessions for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Pain
Change in Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Change in Stroop Color Word Test
+1 more
Secondary study objectives
Change in Comprehensive Trail Making
Change in Pressure Pain Thresholds

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Combined tDCS and PNEExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
This is a single-arm pilot study used to evaluate the treatment effects of combining pain neuroscience education (PNE) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). All participants will receive the same Intervention, which includes five sessions of tDCS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plus PNE over two weeks.
Treatment
First Studied
Drug Approval Stage
How many patients have taken this drug
Pain Neuroscience Education
2020
N/A
~930
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
2014
Completed Phase 3
~1100

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

High Point UniversityLead Sponsor
13 Previous Clinical Trials
1,335 Total Patients Enrolled

Media Library

Pain Neuroscience Education Clinical Trial Eligibility Overview. Trial Name: NCT05571215 — N/A
Chronic Lower Back Pain Research Study Groups: Combined tDCS and PNE
Chronic Lower Back Pain Clinical Trial 2023: Pain Neuroscience Education Highlights & Side Effects. Trial Name: NCT05571215 — N/A
Pain Neuroscience Education 2023 Treatment Timeline for Medical Study. Trial Name: NCT05571215 — N/A
Chronic Lower Back Pain Patient Testimony for trial: Trial Name: NCT05571215 — N/A
~12 spots leftby Nov 2025