Effects of Cerebral and Peripheral Electrical Stimulation on Conditioned Pain Modulation in Healthy Subjects.

Universidade Federal do Piauí50 enrolled

Overview

The Neuromatrix pain model and new findings on pain chronification process point to a greater efficacy of treatments that address central and peripheral rather than only peripheral structures. Both cerebral and peripheral electrical stimulations can modulate brain areas involved in pain processing. However, their effects on pain modulation systems and clinical outcomes are lacking. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and peripheral electrical stimulation (PES) alone as well tDCS combined with PES on pressure pain threshold and conditioned pain modulation in healthy subjects.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy Volunteers

Interventions

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique that has been investigated for the management of various chronic pain conditions. However, as a monotherapy for pain relief, this therapy still has controversial results.

Sham tDCSPROCEDURE

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: Healthy subjects without medical complaints. Exclusion Criteria: Concurrent medication likely to affect cognitive performance pregnancy or possible pregnancy history of drug or alcohol abuse or dependence recent head injury (in the last 3 months) history of seizure or stroke.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pressure pain threshold

Pressure pain threshold (PPT) is defined as the minimum force applied which induces pain.

Time frame: Pre and Post-test (immediately after tDCS)

Conditioned pain modulation

Conditioned pain modulation paradigms consist of the evaluation of a painful test stimulus followed by a second evaluation either at the same time as a distant, painful conditioning stimulus. PPT will be evaluated following a conditioning stimulus condition (hand immersion in a cold water).