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Could a head zapper ease tough pain syndrome?
NCT ID NCT07361692
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called tDCS can reduce pain in people with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Thirty-two adults with active CRPS will receive either real or sham stimulation over several sessions. The goal is to see if this safe, drug-free approach can offer meaningful pain relief.
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 safe, drug-free option to reduce chronic pain in people with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 32 people. The placebo effect is strong in pain studies, so results may not be conclusive or widely applicable.
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 32 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Apr 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 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 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: * Major * Clinically active or active complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) with positive Budapest criteria * Scintigraphy showing signs consistent with CRPS * Being affiliated with or a beneficiary of a social security scheme Exclusion Criteria: * Algodystrophy no longer meeting the Budapest criteria * Relative contraindication to tDCS: psychosis (including treated psychosis), uncontrolled epilepsy, large scalp scar, intracerebral/intracranial metallic body * Pregnant or breastfeeding women * Minors * Persons under legal protection (guardianship, conservatorship, and protective supervision) * Persons deprived of their liberty by judicial or administrative order * Unwilling individuals who cannot give their consent or cannot return for scheduled visits according to the protocol
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Get notified about this study
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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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Polyclinique de l'Europe
RECRUITINGSaint-Nazaire, 44600, France
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