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Could a ZAP to the brain ease chronic pain? new trial tests personalized stimulation

NCT ID NCT07432841

Symptom relief Sponsor: Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SpA 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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called HD-tDCS for people with chronic pain that hasn't improved with other treatments. 144 participants will be randomly assigned to receive either real (anodal or cathodal) or sham (placebo) stimulation over five sessions in one week. The goal is to see if personalized targeting of a brain region involved in pain processing can reduce pain and improve daily functioning, with follow-ups at 3 weeks and 3 months.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a non-drug option to reduce chronic pain by targeting specific brain areas with personalized stimulation.
What could go wrong
This is an early-phase study with only 144 participants. The effect may be small or temporary, and not everyone may benefit. Risks include mild discomfort or skin irritation from the electrodes.

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 144 people

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

Started

Apr 2025

Expected to finish

May 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 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: * Diagnosis of chronic pain lasting for at least six months * Pain scores equal to or greater than 4 on Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) 0-10 on most days for the last 3 months * Pain unresponsive to conservative treatment such as pharmacological therapy and physiotherapy, and unresponsive to minimally invasive treatments such as peripheral nerve blocks or neuromodulation or steroid epidural injections, when appropriate * Age between 18 and 75 * Stable pain levels and willingness not to modify any ongoing pain management therapies during the study period (1 week) Exclusion Criteria: * History of seizure disorders * Active malignancy * Implanted medical devices and/or metallic implants in the head or neck region * Cranial abnormalities * Severe cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)\<15.5) * Neurological or psychiatric conditions, or significant comorbidities, that may interfere with tDCS * Pregnancy * Incompatibility with MRI and/or TMS

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chronic Pain chronic pain syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Chronic pain

How to take part

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

  1. The places running it

    4 sites. 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

  • Irccs Ismett

    RECRUITING

    Palermo, 90127, Italy

  • Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri Spa Società Benefit

    RECRUITING

    Pavia, 27100, Italy

  • University of Milano-Bicocca

    RECRUITING

    Milan, 20126, Italy

  • University of Palermo

    RECRUITING

    Palermo, 90127, Italy

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