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Brain zaps and PT: a new hope for chronic knee pain?

NCT ID NCT06132412

Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Illinois at Chicago 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 This study
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether adding a gentle brain stimulation technique called tDCS to personalized physical therapy can reduce pain and improve function in people with chronic knee pain. Thirty adults with knee pain lasting over 3 months will receive either real or fake tDCS alongside PT for 8 sessions. Researchers will measure pain, walking ability, and strength to see if the combination works better than PT alone.

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)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new way to treat chronic knee pain by combining brain stimulation with physical therapy.
What could go wrong
This is a small early-stage study with only 30 people, so results may not apply to everyone. tDCS may cause skin irritation or discomfort.

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.

Started

Jun 2024

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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 years and older

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: * Age \>/= 18 years old * Knee pain * Knee pain duration \>/= 3 months Exclusion Criteria: General exclusion criteria * History of surgery on affected knee * Pregnant tDCS exclusion criteria * Skin hypersensitivity * History of contact dermatitis * Any other skin or scalp condition that could be aggravated by tDCS * Previous adverse reactions to tDCS

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As listed by the trial registrant

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

Knee pain chronic

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Illinois Hospital

    Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States

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