Could a gentle brain zap help veterans beat chronic pain?
NCT ID NCT07411859
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing whether a painless brain stimulation technique called tDCS can reduce chronic pain in 100 military members and veterans. Participants will receive tDCS while taking part in a behavioral health program, and researchers will track changes in pain levels and daily functioning. The goal is to find a safe, non-drug option for managing long-term pain.
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) device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free way to ease chronic pain for military members and veterans.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with no control group, so results may not be conclusive. The device may not provide lasting pain relief for everyone.
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 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Feb 2026
- 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 89 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 Hide 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: * Male or Female, 18-89 years old * Treated on site for ABHP * Willing to self-administer tDCS and complete the measures * PEG pain intensity of 4 or more for most of the day at least 3 days per week * Have an established PCP (Primary Care Provider) or pain management provider Exclusion Criteria: * Implanted pacemaker * Seizure Disorder * Pregnancy, if applicable * Any new onset of the following: * Balance Problems * Difficulty walking * Bladder incontinence * Bowel incontinence * Numbness * Tingling * Weakness * Medical contraindications * Current use of sodium channel blockers * Lidocaine (OTC/transdermal delivery is ok) * Mexiletine * Amitriptyline; other tricyclic antidepressants * Anti-epileptic medications: phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, rufinamide, lacosamide and eslicarbazepine acetate * Current use of calcium channel blockers * Current use of N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists * Ketamine * Dextromethorphan * Felbamate * History of brain surgery * History of brain tumor * History of seizure disorder * History of stroke * Intracranial metal implantation * Adults unable to consent * Individuals who are not yet adults * Prisoners * Non-English speaking
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Chronic pain are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
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 Emory Clinic
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30308, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can difficulty naming emotions shape how much tailbone pain you feel?
- Can talk therapy rewire the brain to ease burn Survivors' pain?
- Can a video game teach cancer patients to tame their pain?
- Could a wearable zapper quiet cirrhosis pain without drugs?
- Can ketamine boost mindfulness therapy for people facing pain and PTSD?
- Can virtual walking trick the brain into easing chronic pain?