Spatiotemporal Thalamocortical Alterations Underlie Experimental and Chronic Pain

NCT ID: NCT06968689

Last Updated: 2026-01-22

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-05-12

Study Completion Date

2027-11-30

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this study is to assess thalamocortical (TC) connectivity during tonic pressure pain, to evaluate alpha activity during tonic pressure pain and to determine pressure pain ratings by using Electroencephalography (EEG), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), sham and Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators

Study Groups

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tACS then tRNS then sham

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

tACS then sham then tRNS

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

tRNS then tACS then sham

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

tRNS then sham then tACS

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

Sham then tRNS then tACS

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

Sham then tACS then tRNS

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Intervention Type DEVICE

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

Interventions

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transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Sham

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

Intervention Type DEVICE

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Meet the MRI / EEG screening criteria
* Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

* Current or history of major medical, neurological, or psychiatric illness based on self-report
* History of cardiac, respiratory, or nervous system disease that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes participation in the study because of a heightened potential for adverse outcome (for example: asthma or claustrophobia)
* History of head trauma
* Pregnant or lactating
* Presence of any contraindications to MRI scanning (for example: cardiac pacemaker, metal implants, claustrophobia, pregnancy, cannot lie still in fMRI scanner)
* Conditions making study participation difficult (e.g., paralysis, psychoses, or other severe psychological problems as per the judgment of a study investigator during Session 1)
* Active substance abuse disorders (based on subject self-report)
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Wen Li

Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Wen Li, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Locations

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The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Houston, Texas, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Wen Li, PhD

Role: CONTACT

(713) 486-2700

Jada Malveaux

Role: CONTACT

(713) 486-2700

Facility Contacts

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Wen Li, PhD

Role: primary

(713) 486-2700

Jada Malveaux

Role: backup

(713) 486-2700

Other Identifiers

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5R01NS129059-03

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

HSC-MS-25-0062

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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