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Can zapping two brain regions at once quiet chronic nerve pain?

NCT ID NCT06510725

Symptom relief Sponsor: Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 10, 2026 · Last updated Sep 11, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers are testing a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adults with chronic neuropathic pain. The trial compares three approaches: stimulating two brain targets alternately, stimulating one target, or a sham (placebo) version. Participants receive 20-minute sessions on ten consecutive weekdays. The study measures changes in pain intensity, depression, anxiety, sleep, and quality of life.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation device
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to ease chronic nerve pain and related problems like poor sleep and low mood.
What could go wrong
tDCS has shown mixed results for pain, and this trial is still testing whether targeting two brain areas beats one. Benefits may be modest or fade after treatment stops.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

204 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2024

Finished

Aug 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 75 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Female or males aged between 18 and 75 years. 2. Pain fulfilling the criteria for probable or definite neuropathic pain and scoring ≥4/10 at Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions. 3. Pain duration of at least 3 months and average pain intensity scoring ≥4/10 at Numeric Rating Scale. 4. Stable pharmacological treatment for at least 4 weeks prior to the study and throughout the trial. 5. Informed consent obtained. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnancy or lactation. 2. Active central nervous system diseases including but not limited to brain tumour, intracranial hypertension, past or current epilepsy. 3. Unable to complete the questionnaire due to language abilities or reduced cognitive functioning. 4. Alcohol or substance abuse. 5. Common contraindications for transcranial direct current stimulation including but not limited to skull defect, implanted device or metal in the brain, severe cardiopulmonary, renal or hepatic diseases. 6. Unwilling to comply with the treatment or follow-up assessments. 7. Participating in another clinical trial within 3 months prior to enrollment of this clinical trial. 8. Any patient deemed unsuitable for enrollment by the investigators.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

neuralgia neurological pain disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Neuropathic pain

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Second Affiliated Hospital of Tsinghua University

    Beijing, China

  • Tiantan Hospital

    Beijing, China

  • Xuanwu Hospital

    Beijing, China

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