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Abdominal PainNCT02928237

Effect of tDCS on Chronic Abdominal Visceral Pain in HCC Patients

A study testing transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS in people with Abdominal Pain, run by Assiut University.

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

To evaluate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the motor cortex to reduce chronic abdominal visceral pain in a group of participants with hepatocellular carcinoma Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Abdominal Pain
What is being tested?
transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
40 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Apr 2015to Aug 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 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • All patients of above 18 years old, with malignant visceral pain due to primary liver cancer or on top of cirrhosis, resistant to medical treatment for at least 2 months or associated with significant adverse effect from medication will be involved in this study

Who cannot join

  • Investigators will exclude patients with intracranial metallic devices or with pacemakers or any other device. Investigators also exclude those with extensive myocardial ischemia and those known to have epilepsy.

About this study

Official title: Effect of the Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of the Motor Cortex on Chronic Abdominal Pain in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

To evaluate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the motor cortex to reduce chronic abdominal visceral pain in a group of participants with hepatocellular carcinoma

Read the detailed description

This study will be carried out in Assiut University Hospital pain clinic and in participation of department of neuropsychiatry in Assiut University Hospital. After obtaining approval of hospital ethical committee, informed written consent will be taken from all patients with malignant visceral pain to be involved in this study.

In these study investigators test the hypothesis that Does transcranial direct current stimulation induce analgesia in chronic abdominal visceral pain due to liver cancer ?

Preparation:

The patient will seat in a comfortable chair and will be asked to relax as much as possible. tDCS was delivered using a battery driven DC stimulator (neuroConn Gmbh,98693 llmenau, Germany). Current was delivered by electrodes encased in sponge pads soaked with 1% saline solution. The machine was kept behind the participant and out of their view at all times. For both the active and sham conditions, the anode was placed over the motor cortex of the patient and the cathode was placed over the contralateral supraorbital region. Electrodes were secured using soft elastic straps.

In the active stimulation condition a constant current of 2mA intensity was applied for 30 minutes with a 5-second ramp phase at the beginning. In the sham stimulation condition the machine was activated for 30 seconds using identical parameters but was then switched off without the patient's knowledge. This sham control is commonly employed because over the initial 30 seconds of stimulation, an initial sensation of tingling under the electrode fades away. Patients are less likely to distinguish active from sham conditions if the initial period of tingling is present in both.

Patients were evaluated by verbal descriptor scale (VDS), visual analog scale (VAS), and Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D) at the baseline, after 1st, 5th, 10th session, and 1 month after end of sessions.

Conditions
Abdominal Pain
Being tested
transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS
Keywords
tDCS, cancer liver, chronic abdominal pain, VAS, VDS, HAM-D, BPI, analgesia
Medical subject headings
Abdominal Pain, Carcinoma, Hepatocellular, Agnosia

What participants receive

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

  • transcranial direct current stimulation tDCSDevice

    A battery driven DC stimulator (neuroConn Gmbh,98693 llmenau, Germany)

Study groups in NCT02928237
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Real tDCSActive comparatorIn the active stimulation condition a constant current of active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of 2mA intensity was applied for 30 minutes,over primary motor cortex M1. The treatment was repeated every day for 10 consecutive days.
Receives: Device: transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS
Sham tDCSPlacebo comparatorSham tDCS was applied using the same parameters but only for 30 seconds then the machine is deactivated.
Receives: Device: transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS

What is being measured

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

  1. visual analog scale (VAS)

    measurement of reduction of chronic abdominal pain in cancer liver patients.

    Measured: one month

  2. verbal descriptor scale (VDS)

    measurement of reduction of chronic abdominal pain in cancer liver patients.

    Measured: one month

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAM-D)

    Measurement of reduction of depression

    Measured: one month

Timeline

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

  1. First posted10 Oct 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2015
  3. Primary completionApr 2016
  4. Study completionAug 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
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
40 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02928237
Sponsor's protocol ID
481186
Status last verified
Oct 2016
First submitted
26 Mar 2016
Last updated
10 Oct 2016
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
Individual data sharing
Yes

Publications

  • Ibrahim NM, Abdelhameed KM, Kamal SMM, Khedr EMH, Kotb HIM. Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Motor Cortex on Visceral Pain in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Pain Med. 2018 Mar 1;19(3):550-560. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnx087.

    PubMed 28605527

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing transcranial direct current stimulation tDCS in people with Abdominal Pain, run by Assiut University.

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 1 inclusion and 1 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 10 Oct 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

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?

visual analog scale (VAS) (time frame: one month). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT02928237, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 10 Oct 2016.

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