Brain zaps for pelvic pain? new study tests tDCS for endometriosis
NCT ID NCT02161302
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested whether a non-invasive brain stimulation method called tDCS can help relieve chronic pelvic pain in women with endometriosis. Thirty women who were already on hormone therapy and had daily pain scores above 4 out of 10 took part. They received multiple tDCS sessions, and researchers measured changes in pain levels, brain activity, and pain sensitivity over 29 days.
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
-
30 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
-
Jun 2014
- Finished
-
May 2016
- 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 55 years
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- 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: * age \> 18 years old, non-menopausal, with the diagnosis of endometriosis by videolaparoscopy and biopsy, able to understand and write the Portuguese language, in treatment with isolated progestin for at least one month, who have the worst daily pain in the analogue visual scale \> 4 cm on most of the days in the last month Exclusion Criteria: * left-handed women, endometriosis implantation in intestine, bladder or urether (surgical treatment indication), history of intense or frequent headache, chronic dermatologic disease, previous adverse effects to treatment with tDCS, seizures, severe cranial trauma with alteration of the cranial anatomy, metallic intracranial implants or pacemaker, history of pelvic inflammatory disease, non-compensated psychiatric disease, non-collaborative patients, history of neurologic, oncologic disease, heart, renal or hepatic failure.
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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90035-903, Brazil
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 Pre-Surgery pelvic floor therapy stop endometriosis pain after the operation?
- Can talk therapy rewire the brain to ease burn Survivors' pain?
- Can a video game teach cancer patients to tame their pain?
- Appendix: the hidden driver of endometriosis pain?
- Could a wearable zapper quiet cirrhosis pain without drugs?