Investigating Motor Cortex Processing for Pain Modulation

NCT ID: NCT01404039

Last Updated: 2020-04-24

Study Results

Results available

Outcome measurements, participant flow, baseline characteristics, and adverse events have been published for this study.

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

TERMINATED

Clinical Phase

PHASE1

Total Enrollment

115 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2010-09-30

Study Completion Date

2014-04-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of different types of interventions (motor learning, somatosensory learning, observation task, mental imagery and tDCS) on the perception of pain and motor cortex excitability in healthy male subjects. This is an exploratory study of healthy subjects only.

Detailed Description

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There are 5 experiments:

Exp1: motor learning (3 groups, crossover) - motor leaning with and without visual feedback and a control group.

Exp2: sensory learning (4 groups, parallel) - sensory learning with and without feedback, an simple activation task and a control group.

Exp3: observational task (2 groups, parallel) - an motor observational task and a control group.

Exp4: mental imagery (2 groups, parallel) - a motor mental imagery and a control group.

Exp5: tDCS over the motor cortex (2 groups, crossover) - active and sham tDCS. Note that this study has never been completed.

Conditions

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Motor Activity

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

There are 5 experiments: motor learning (3 groups, crossover), sensory learning (4 groups, parallel), observational task (2 groups, parallel), mental imagery (2 groups, parallel), and tDCS over the motor cortex (2 groups, crossover). Please note that the tDCS experiment has never been conducted.
Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Motor Learning (ML) sighted

In this arm, subject will perform motor Learning with visual feedback - ML sighted.

There will be an anticipated total of 15 subjects in this experimental arm. This arm will be conducted as a cross-over design. The subjects will undergo the three interventions listed (motor learning with visual feedback, motor learning without visual feedback, and control group) in a counterbalanced randomized order. There will be at least 24 hours between each experimental session.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Motor Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subject will have to draw a set of shapes and words during 20 minutes.

Motor Learning (ML) blind

In this arm, subject will perform motor Learning without visual feedback - ML blind.

There will be an anticipated total of 15 subjects in this experimental arm. This arm will be conducted as a cross-over design. The subjects will undergo the three interventions listed (motor learning with visual feedback, motor learning without visual feedback, and control group) in a counterbalanced randomized order. There will be at least 24 hours between each experimental session.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Motor Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subject will have to draw a set of shapes and words during 20 minutes.

Motor Learning (ML) control group

In this arm, subject will perform simple hand movements - control group. There will be an anticipated total of 15 subjects in this experimental arm. This arm will be conducted as a cross-over design. The subjects will undergo the three interventions listed (motor learning with visual feedback, motor learning without visual feedback, and control group) in a counterbalanced randomized order. There will be at least 24 hours between each experimental session.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Motor Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subject will have to draw a set of shapes and words during 20 minutes.

Somatosensory Learning (SL sighted)

In this arm, subject will perform sensory Learning with visual feedback - SL sighted.

There will be an anticipated total of 10 subjects in this experimental arm. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design with 4 groups (SL sighted, SL blind, Sactivation, SL control).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Somatosensory Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will perform a learning task involving sensory activation of the hand. The task will consist of learning letters of Braille.

Somatosensory Learning (SL blind)

In this arm, subject will perform sensory Learning without visual feedback - SL blind.

There will be an anticipated total of 10 subjects in this experimental arm. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design with 4 groups (SL sighted, SL blind, Sactivation, SL control).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Somatosensory Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will perform a learning task involving sensory activation of the hand. The task will consist of learning letters of Braille.

Somatosensory Activation (S activation)

In this arm, subject will receive simple sensory stimulation over their left index finger - Sactivation.

There will be an anticipated total of 10 subjects in this experimental arm.This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design with 4 groups (SL sighted, SL blind, Sactivation, SL control).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Somatosensory Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will perform a learning task involving sensory activation of the hand. The task will consist of learning letters of Braille.

Somatosensory Learning (SL) control group

In this arm,the subjects will not receive any somatosensory input (SL control group).

There will be an anticipated total of 10 subjects in this experimental arm. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design with 4 groups (SL sighted, SL blind, Sactivation, SL control).

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Somatosensory Learning

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will perform a learning task involving sensory activation of the hand. The task will consist of learning letters of Braille.

Observational Task (OT) - real

In this arm, the subjects will perform an observational task - observation of hand movements. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design. There will be 15 subjects per intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Observational Task

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will watch a 10 second video of a right-handed person performing movements of their left index finger. Subjects will be instructed to watch the video without any other specific instruction.

Observational Task (OT) - control group

In this arm, the subjects will perform a controlled observational task - observation of geometric shapes. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design. There will be 15 subjects per intervention.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Observational Task

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will watch a 10 second video of a right-handed person performing movements of their left index finger. Subjects will be instructed to watch the video without any other specific instruction.

Mental Imagery (MI) - real

In this arm, the subjects will perform mental imagery - mental imagery of finger movements. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design. There will be 15 subjects per intervention.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Mental Imagery

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be asked to perform mental imagery of motor practice - finger movements of the left hand for 10 minutes.

Mental Imagery (MI) - control group

In this arm, the subjects will perform a controlled task - simple mental calculation. This experimental arm will be conducted in a parallel design. There will be 15 subjects per intervention.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Mental Imagery

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be asked to perform mental imagery of motor practice - finger movements of the left hand for 10 minutes.

transcranial direct current stimulation - tDCS real

tDCS will be applied over the motor cortex for 20minutes at an intensity of 2mA. 15 subjects will be enrolled. The subjects will undergo two interventions, real and sham in a counterbalanced randomized order. There will be at least 3 days between each experimental session.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial direct current stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Subjects will undergo active and sham tDCS stimulation in a randomized and counterbalanced order. During both active and sham stimulation, we will use electrodes of 35cm\^2, intensity of 2mA for a duration of 20 minutes. The anode electrode will be placed over the right primary motor cortex (M1) and the cathode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area. For active stimulation, the current will be on for the duration of 20 minutes. For sham stimulation, the current will ramp up, and then down again for 30 seconds to simulate the sensation of active tDCS.

transcranial direct current stimulation - tDCS sham

tDCS will be applied over the motor cortex for 20minutes at an intensity of 2mA. The stimulation will be stopped after 30seconds.

15 subjects will be enrolled. The subjects will undergo two interventions, real and sham in a counterbalanced randomized order. There will be at least 3 days between each experimental session.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

transcranial direct current stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Subjects will undergo active and sham tDCS stimulation in a randomized and counterbalanced order. During both active and sham stimulation, we will use electrodes of 35cm\^2, intensity of 2mA for a duration of 20 minutes. The anode electrode will be placed over the right primary motor cortex (M1) and the cathode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area. For active stimulation, the current will be on for the duration of 20 minutes. For sham stimulation, the current will ramp up, and then down again for 30 seconds to simulate the sensation of active tDCS.

Interventions

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Motor Learning

Subject will have to draw a set of shapes and words during 20 minutes.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Somatosensory Learning

Subjects will perform a learning task involving sensory activation of the hand. The task will consist of learning letters of Braille.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Observational Task

Subjects will watch a 10 second video of a right-handed person performing movements of their left index finger. Subjects will be instructed to watch the video without any other specific instruction.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Mental Imagery

Subjects will be asked to perform mental imagery of motor practice - finger movements of the left hand for 10 minutes.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

transcranial direct current stimulation

Subjects will undergo active and sham tDCS stimulation in a randomized and counterbalanced order. During both active and sham stimulation, we will use electrodes of 35cm\^2, intensity of 2mA for a duration of 20 minutes. The anode electrode will be placed over the right primary motor cortex (M1) and the cathode will be placed over the contralateral supraorbital area. For active stimulation, the current will be on for the duration of 20 minutes. For sham stimulation, the current will ramp up, and then down again for 30 seconds to simulate the sensation of active tDCS.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Provide informed consent to participate in the study
2. 18 to 64 years old
3. No presence of rheumatologic disease as self reported
4. No clinically significant or unstable medical or psychiatric disorder as self reported
5. No history of alcohol or substance abuse within the last 6 months as self reported
6. No neuropsychiatric co-morbidity as self reported
7. No Contraindications to single pulse TMS (TMS will be used to measure cortical excitability)

* history of seizures
* unexplained loss of consciousness
* metal in the head
* frequent or severe headaches or neck pain
* implanted brain medical devices
8. No Contraindications to tDCS

* metal in the head
* implanted brain medical devices
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

64 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Felipe Fregni

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Felipe Fregni, MD, PhD, MPH

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (SRH)

Locations

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Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Other Identifiers

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2010-p-001256

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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