Could a 'Scrambler' device zap away pancreatic pain?
NCT ID NCT07174609
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tests Scrambler Therapy, a non-invasive device that sends electrical signals through the skin to retrain the brain's pain response. Forty adults with chronic pancreatitis and persistent abdominal pain will receive 5-10 daily sessions. Researchers will measure pain levels and quality of life over 3 months to see if the approach is feasible and effective.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Scrambler Therapy device
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a drug-free option for managing chronic abdominal pain in pancreatitis.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study (40 people) with no control group, so results may not be conclusive. The device may not provide lasting pain relief.
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 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Nov 2024
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
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 years and older
- 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: * Adults aged 18 years and older * Diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis with refractory abdominal pain * Able to provide written informed consent in English * Sufficient English language ability to complete study questionnaires * Reliable and regular access to a phone for follow-up Exclusion Criteria: * Unable or unwilling to provide written consent * History or presence of a significant medical or psychiatric condition that would interfere with study participation * Pregnant or lactating women * Coronary stents or implanted metallic/electrical devices (pacemaker, defibrillator, aneurysm clips) * History of epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, or myocardial infarction within the past 6 months * Skin conditions preventing electrode placement (e.g., open wounds) * Any condition that, in the investigator's opinion, places the participant at increased risk or prevents full compliance with study procedures
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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
1 site. 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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Johns Hopkins Green Spring Station
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States
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