Evaluation of the Effectiveness of tDCS in the Management of Perioperative Pain

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Post-Operative Pain

Treatments: Device: tDCS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01861587

HR18682

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a new medical technology can help reduce post-operative pain. The new technology is called Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.

Full description

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the management of postoperative pain. Specifically, this study will determine whether patients undergoing any type of inpatient surgical procedure that routinely requires at least a 1-day inpatient stay post-operatively will report less pain and use less opioid analgesics following a series of 20-minute sessions of tDCS (compared to sham tDCS) delivered up to twice per day post-operatively. In addition to comparing the effects of real tDCS to sham tDCS, the present study will evaluate the interaction of dose (number and frequency of tDCS sessions) and surgery type.

Enrollment: 27 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years-75 years of age
• surgery at Medical University of South Carolina
• at least 2 days of post-operative stay

Exclusion criteria

• history of seizures or epilepsy
• family history of seizures
• taking any medications shown to lower seizure threshold
• metal implants above the waist
• pregnant
• brain tumors or lesions
• pacemaker

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

---

27 participants in 2 patient groups

Real tDCS:Active Comparator

Experimental group

Description:

For Real tDCS, stimulation will be delivered in 20-minute-sessions using 2mA current. The anode will be placed over left BA9 or the motor cortex corresponding with the painful area (if applicable). The cathode will be placed over right BA43 (for GI pain) or right BA9 (located via the international 10-20 EEG system).

Treatment:

Device: tDCS

Sham tDCS: Sham Comparator

Experimental group

Description:

For sham tDCS, the device will be turned on for 30 seconds and then turned off for the duration of the 20-minute session.

Treatment:

Device: tDCS