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Chronic PainNCT02360462

The Effect of tDCS in the Preoperative Period of Hallux Valgus Surgical Treatment

A study testing Active tDCS in people with Chronic Pain and Hallux Valgus, run by Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre at 1 site in Brazil.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This is a clinical trial that intend to determine if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is effective in the treatment of postoperative pain and in the anxiety level in the preoperative period of hallux valgus surgical treatment Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 70 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
Chronic Pain, Hallux Valgus
What is being tested?
Active tDCS
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
40 participants
Where
1 siteBrazil
Study dates
Dec 2014to Jun 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 70 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • indication of hallux valgus surgical treatment because of arthralgia of the first metatarsophalangeal joint,
  • capability of writing and understanding the Portuguese language

Who cannot join

  • diabetic neuropathy,
  • 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,
Show all 11Show fewer
  • non-compensated psychiatric disease,
  • non-collaborative patients,
  • history of neurologic,
  • oncologic disease,
  • heart, renal or hepatic failure.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Brazil1 site

  • Hospital Independência

    Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91430-000

Other trials in Brazil

About this study

This is a clinical trial that intend to determine if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is effective in the treatment of postoperative pain and in the anxiety level in the preoperative period of hallux valgus surgical treatment

Read the detailed description

Introduction: Forefoot deformities are important cause of feet pain and discomfort and affect around 80% of general population, predominantly in female population. Among teenagers and adults´ common forefoot deformities is hallux valgus. To achieve the deformity heal, surgical treatment is needed. The transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non invasive technic, that aims for the central nervous system modulation for pain control, which can become a therapeutic option for postoperative pain. Experimental studies have shown that tDCS has reverted the hyperalgesia induced by chronic stress and articular inflammatory pain, has reduced total knee arthroplasty postoperative opioid consumption and a single 20 minutes session has shown reduction in endoscopic procedures opioid consumption, safety and minimal adverse effects. However, the tDCS effect in preoperative hyperalgesia has not been explored yet in sensitized patients, neither in anxiety and postoperative rehabilitation of patients submitted to hallux valgus surgical correction. In this study, it was chosen to use tDCS to stimulate cerebral cortex due to its efficacy in painful syndromes, for being a non invasive, low cost and easy-to-apply technic in comparison to other neurostimulation technics and especially, for its potential to counter-regulate the mal adaptive neuroplastic alterations associated to chronic pain. Objective: to evaluate the effect of tDCS compared to tDCS-sham in the pain control (visual analog scale score, pain threshold and the descendent modulator system), perioperative anxiety, postoperative analgesic drug consumption and in the rehabilitation of patients with arthralgia of the first metatarsophalangeal articulation submitted to hallux valgus surgical correction. Method: it is a randomized, blinded, placebo-sham controlled clinical trial which includes 40 female patients, between 18 and 70 years old, candidates to hallux valgus surgical treatment by combined Chevron + Akin osteotomy due to arthralgia of the first metatarsophalangeal articulation. The patients will be randomized and divided into two groups that will be treated with two tDCS or tDCS-sham sessions of 20 minutes each in preoperative period. Expected results: This study will evaluate the effect of tDCS as a treatment option to postoperative pain and perioperative anxiety of patients submitted to hallux valgus surgical correction. In case of proven efficacy, this technic can become a low cost, easy access, safe and effective treatment option for these patients.

Being tested
Active tDCS, Sham tDCS
Keywords
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, tDCS, Hallux Valgus, Chronic Pain
Medical subject headings
Chronic Pain, Hallux Valgus

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Active tDCSDevice

    Also called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

    The stimulation will be administered with a pair of surface electrodes, sponge coated, soaked in saline. A battery-powered constant current stimulator will be used for this purpose (tDCS device). The stimulation is performed by placing the anodal electrode in the primary motor cortex (M1) and the cathodal one in the contralateral supraorbital area and it will use a 2 mA (milliampere) current.

  • Sham tDCSDevice

    Also called Sham transcranial direct current stimulation (Sham tDCS)

    The sham tDCS consists in the same montage of the active tDCS, but the device is turned off 30 seconds after stimulation starts (without letting the patient notice it). The rest of the montage is kept identical to the active one during the 20 minutes session

Study groups in NCT02360462
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Active tDCSExperimentalActive tDCS will be applied in the head of the patients in 20 minute sessions, twice. First session will be applied in the night before and the second session, in the morning before the surgical procedure. The stimulation will be administered with a pair of surface electrodes, sponge coated, soaked in saline. A battery-powered constant current stimulator will be used for this purpose (tDCS device). The stimulation is performed by placing the anodal electrode in the primary motor cortex (M1) and the cathodal one in the contralateral supraorbital area, and it will use a 2 mA current
Receives: Device: Active tDCS
Sham tDCSSham comparatorThe sham tDCS consists in the same montage of the active tDCS, but the device is turned off 30 seconds after starting stimulation (without letting the patient notice it). The rest of the montage is kept identical to the active one during the 20 minutes session.
Receives: Device: Sham tDCS

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in pain scores assessed with the visual analogue scale

    Patients will be asked their worst pain level (assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale) with 2 different scores: worst daily pain including movement period and pain in rest period. It will also be assessed a pain score for the moment before and another for the moment right after each tDCS session (Day 0 and Day 1). The outcome assessor will visit the patient once daily during the hospital stay (an expected average of 2 days) and will call the patient once daily after discharge. Patients will also be asked to daily write down the analgesic drug intake after hospital discharge and the outcome assessor will review nursery notes during hospital stay for drug intake. Total evaluations: 10 days

    Measured: Once Daily. It starts in the day before surgical treatment (Day 0), and it is assessed every day until one week after the surgical procedure (total = 10 days)

Secondary outcomes (4)

  1. Preoperative Anxiety level

    Anxiety level will be assessed by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), adapted to Brazilian Portuguese Language. It will be assessed before the first session of tDCS (on initial contact with the patient - Day 0), and in the moment right before going to the surgical room in the next day (Day 1). Total = 2 evaluations

    Measured: Initial contact (before any tDCS session - Day 0) and the moment before the surgical procedure (Day 1)

  2. Change in the temperature pain threshold

    It will be assessed by the Quantitative Sensory Test (QST) in the dominant (right) forearm and in the leg ipsilateral to the foot that will be treated. The heat pain tolerance, the pain threshold to the heat and the temperature defined as pain 6/10 by the participant will be determined. The temperature starts at 32°C, and it heats at a 1.0 °C/sec rate and cools down after a button is pressed or whenever it reaches the max temperature of 52°C. The participant will be asked to press down the button at the first sensation of pain to determine the pain threshold; to press down the button whenever she can not stand the heat anymore for the pain tolerance determination and, for last, to press down the button at the temperature she fells pain equivalent to 6/10 in the numeric scale of pain. The pain threshold and the temperature of pain 6/10 will be determined by the arithmetic mean of 3 evaluations each.

    Measured: Day before the surgical treatment (Day 0), and in the moment after the spinal anesthesia recovery in immediate postoperative period (Day 1).

  3. Change in effect of the descendent modulator system of pain

    It will be assessed by the Conditioned Pain Modulation test (CPM). A nociceptive tonic conditioning stimulus - immersion of the non-dominant hand in cold water (0°C for 1 minute) - will be applied concomitant to the progressive thermal stimulus in the dominant forearm as applied in the QST pattern until it reaches the 6/10 pain temperature previously determined by the participant. It will be tested in the day before the surgical treatment (before the first session of tDCS), and after the spinal anesthesia recovery in immediate postoperative period. Total of 2 test days.

    Measured: Day before the surgical treatment (Day 0), and in the moment after the spinal anesthesia recovery in immediate postoperative period (Day 1).

  4. Change in serum biomarkers level: The brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), S100B, nerve growth factor (NGF) and enolase

    A blood sample will be collected to measure each plasma biomarker in the day before the surgical treatment (Day 0), in the moment before the spinal anesthesia (Day 1) and a week after the surgical procedure (Day 9). Total = 3 evaluations

    Measured: The day before the surgical treatment (Day 0), in the moment before the spinal anestesia (Day 1) and a week after the surgical procedure (Day 9)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted10 Feb 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study startDec 2014
  3. Primary completionNov 2015
  4. Study completionJun 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
40 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02360462
Sponsor's protocol ID
14-0643
Status last verified
Jul 2017
First submitted
22 Jan 2015
Last updated
18 Jul 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Valle A, Roizenblatt S, Botte S, Zaghi S, Riberto M, Tufik S, Boggio PS, Fregni F. Efficacy of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for the treatment of fibromyalgia: results of a randomized, sham-controlled longitudinal clinical trial. J Pain Manag. 2009;2(3):353-361.

    PubMed 21170277

  • Boros K, Poreisz C, Munchau A, Paulus W, Nitsche MA. Premotor transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects primary motor excitability in humans. Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Mar;27(5):1292-300. doi: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2008.06090.x. Epub 2008 Feb 29.

    PubMed 18312584

  • Nitsche MA, Liebetanz D, Antal A, Lang N, Tergau F, Paulus W. Modulation of cortical excitability by weak direct current stimulation--technical, safety and functional aspects. Suppl Clin Neurophysiol. 2003;56:255-76. doi: 10.1016/s1567-424x(09)70230-2. No abstract available.

    PubMed 14677403

  • Nitsche MA, Cohen LG, Wassermann EM, Priori A, Lang N, Antal A, Paulus W, Hummel F, Boggio PS, Fregni F, Pascual-Leone A. Transcranial direct current stimulation: State of the art 2008. Brain Stimul. 2008 Jul;1(3):206-23. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2008.06.004. Epub 2008 Jul 1.

    PubMed 20633386

  • Fenton BW, Palmieri PA, Boggio P, Fanning J, Fregni F. A preliminary study of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of refractory chronic pelvic pain. Brain Stimul. 2009 Apr;2(2):103-7. doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2008.09.009. Epub 2009 Feb 28.

    PubMed 20633407

  • Caumo W, Ruehlman LS, Karoly P, Sehn F, Vidor LP, Dall-Agnol L, Chassot M, Torres IL. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the profile of chronic pain: screen for a Brazilian population. Pain Med. 2013 Jan;14(1):52-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01528.x. Epub 2012 Nov 21.

    PubMed 23171145

  • Sehn F, Chachamovich E, Vidor LP, Dall-Agnol L, de Souza IC, Torres IL, Fregni F, Caumo W. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the pain catastrophizing scale. Pain Med. 2012 Nov;13(11):1425-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2012.01492.x. Epub 2012 Oct 4.

    PubMed 23036076

  • Ribeiro H, Sesterhenn RB, Souza A, Souza AC, Alves M, Machado JC, Burger NB, Torres ILDS, Stefani LC, Fregni F, Caumo W. Preoperative transcranial direct current stimulation: Exploration of a novel strategy to enhance neuroplasticity before surgery to control postoperative pain. A randomized sham-controlled study. PLoS One. 2017 Nov 30;12(11):e0187013. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187013. eCollection 2017.

    PubMed 29190741

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Active tDCS in people with Chronic Pain and Hallux Valgus, run by Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre at 1 site in Brazil.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Brazil. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in pain scores assessed with the visual analogue scale (time frame: Once Daily. It starts in the day before surgical treatment (Day 0), and it is assessed every day until one week after the surgical procedure (total = 10 days)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02360462, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Jul 2017.

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