Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Pain Thresholds in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain
Completed · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)
In brief
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common reason for which patients are treated with opioids. Because the misuse of prescription opioids has become a serious problem in the Uinted States, finding effective alternative non-pharmaceutical interventions for chronic pain management has become an urgent matter. A phenomenon termed central sensitization (i.e. mal-adaption of the brain) has been hypothesized to be an underlying mechanism for the development of chronic pain, leading to sensory hypersensitivity to extremal stimuli. Therefore, non-invasive brain stimulation, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may be an effective intervention to regulate brain excitability, thus reducing chronic pain. However, research has shown inconclusive evidence regarding the rTMS effects on chronic pain reduction, partly due to the heterogeneity of participants in studies to date. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to investigate the immediate and short-term effects of rTMS on neurosensory changes (i.e., pain thresholds) in patients with CLBP. The secondary purpuse of the study is to explore the relationship between changes of cortical excitability (TMS parameters) and changes of pain thresholds after the rTMS intervention in patients with CLBP.
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT03973788
- Run by
- Texas Woman's University
- People needed
- 40
- Starts
- 2019-07-01
- Expected to finish
- 2022-01-13
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-01-09
Who can join
Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Adults 18 years of age or older
- Have LBP for more than 6 months
You may not qualify if…
- Previous low back surgery, systemic joint disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis),
- Fracture,
- Infection
- Tumor or cancer
- Cauda equina syndrome
- neurological disorders
- Neuropathy
- Raynaud's Disease
- pregnancy,
- Inability to maintain the testing and treatment positions (i.e. sitting, supine hook-lying and prone-lying) for 15 minutes at a time.
- History of significant head trauma,
- Electrical, magnetic, or mechanical implantation (e.g. cardiac pacemakers or intracerebral vascular clip)
- Metal implantation in the head and neck areas
- History of seizures or unexplained loss of consciousness,
- Immediate family member with epilepsy
- Use of seizure threshold lowering medicine
- Current abuse of alcohol or drugs
- History of psychiatric illness requiring medication controls
Where it is running
- Texas Woman's University — Dallas, Texas, United States
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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