New hope for nerve pain: brain zaps and VR mirrors join forces
NCT ID NCT04867187
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether combining brain stimulation (rTMS) with virtual reality mirror therapy can reduce hard-to-treat nerve pain. 64 adults with chronic neuropathic pain that hasn't responded to drugs will receive either real or sham mirror therapy alongside rTMS. The goal is to see if the combo provides better pain relief than rTMS alone.
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) and virtual reality mirror therapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new drug-free option for people with stubborn nerve pain that doesn't respond to standard medications.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (64 people) testing a combination of two techniques. It may not show a clear benefit, and the effects might not last long-term.
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
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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
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About 64 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Oct 2022
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 to 85 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * Clinical symptoms typical of neuropathic pain * Refractory to drug therapies * Lasting for at least 6 months, with a moderate to severe pain intensity (≥4/10 on Visual Analog Scale, VAS) and a stable pain treatment since 1month at least * Having right to health benefits Exclusion Criteria: * Ferromagnetic components and implanted microprocessors (i.e. cochlear implants) * Drug-resistant or active epilepsy, pacemaker, pregnancy, ongoing depression or personality troubles, and ongoing opioid treatment. * Any other contraindications to MRI scanner (e.g., claustrophobia, etc.).
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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.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint-Etienne
RECRUITINGSaint-Etienne, 42055, France
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Hôpital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGBron, 69500, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Can a skin injection of ketamine and lidocaine tame CRPS pain?