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Can magnetic brain zaps ease the pain of a sleepless body?

NCT ID NCT07827677

Symptom relief Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 18, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Summary

People with insomnia often feel pain more intensely and recover from muscle strain more slowly. This pilot trial tests whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive technique that alters brain activity, can reduce pain sensitivity and speed recovery after a standard muscle-soreness exercise. Thirty adults with insomnia receive either real rTMS aimed at one of two brain regions or a sham version, then researchers track pain thresholds and soreness over several days.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered to two different brain targets
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a non-invasive brain-stimulation option for easing muscle pain and speeding recovery in people who sleep poorly.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study of 30 people using an experimental muscle-soreness model, so any benefit may not hold up in real-world pain or in larger trials. rTMS can cause scalp discomfort, headache, or, rarely, seizure.

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

About 30 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

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 60 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * Adults aged 18 to 60 years * Right hand and foot dominant Exclusion Criteria: * History of any chronic musculoskeletal pain or presence of existing pain during recruitment * Previous major injuries or surgery involving the lower limbs * Sleep disorders other than insomnia * Clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders * Conditions that preclude safe rTMS or pain testing (e.g., severe head trauma, intracranial hypertension, implanted ferromagnetic devices, history of epilepsy, skin conditions at stimulation sites) * Contraindications to vigorous exercise identified through the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q) * Work night shifts or rotating shift schedules * Pregnant

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

insomnia Musculoskeletal Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Exercise induced muscle damage Healthy adult Insomnia Musculoskeletal pain Pain sensitivity

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    RECRUITING

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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