Can virtual walking and mild brain zaps ease nerve pain in spinal injury?
NCT ID NCT07254767
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests a new approach to reduce nerve pain in people with spinal cord injury. Ten participants will receive ten sessions combining mild brain stimulation (tDCS) with virtual reality walking and muscle vibration. The goal is to see if this drug-free combo can lower pain intensity and improve daily life.
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) combined with virtual reality and muscle vibration
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a new drug-free way to reduce chronic nerve pain after spinal cord injury.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small, early feasibility study with only 10 people, so results may not apply widely. The effect on pain may be small or temporary.
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 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Dec 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Sep 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * over 18 years old * a score of ≥ 4/10 on the Douleur Neuropathique en 4 Questions (DN4) * classified AIS A to D * neuropathic pain with an intensity of ≥ 4/10 on the simple numerical rating scale (This threshold is often chosen to better observe a potential analgesic effect) Exclusion Criteria: The main exclusion criteria are contraindications to tDCS and virtual reality * pregnancy, * epilepsy, * cancer, * pacemaker, * metallic implants in the brain or eyes, * uncontrolled severe headaches, * uncontrolled psychotic disorders, * open scalp wounds, * severe visual impairments. If participants have suffered a major traumatic brain injury with significant cognitive impairments, inclusion in the study will depend on the medical team's judgment. Finally, participants with allodynia in the areas where vibrators will be placed will not be included in the protocol
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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 official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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