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tDCS Combined With Therapeutic Exercise in Fibromyalgia Patients

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Fibromyalgia
Interventions
Device: Sham tDCS
Device: Real tDCS
Device: Therapeutic exercise
Registration Number
NCT04050254
Lead Sponsor
University of Castilla-La Mancha
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects on pain of transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise in fibromyalgia patients.

Detailed Description

Fibromyalgia is one of the rheumatic diseases with the greatest impact on the quality of life, whose etiology and pathophysiology is not yet fully demonstrated. Perhaps this is why its therapeutic approach is refractory to current treatments.

Based on the theory that fibromyalgia is characterized by a sensitization at the level of the central nervous system that leads to an increase in the perception of pain, any therapeutic approach aimed at modulating the central nervous system may be beneficial. Electrical stimulation with transcranial direct current (tDCS) is among these techniques.

In the same way, therapeutic exercise has shown to have, like the tDCS, a beneficial effect on pain in different chronic pathologies.

The present study aims to investigate the effect on pain of a combination therapy of tDCS and therapeutic exercise in patients with fibromyalgia.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
120
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age between 18 and 65 years.
  • Fulfilled the 2010 American Colleague of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia.
  • Normal pain intensity of 4 or more points on a visual analog scale.
  • Able to participated in a therapeutic exercise program.
  • Understanding of spoken and written Spanish.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Pregnancy or breastfeeding.
  • Metallic implants in the head.
  • Tumor, trauma or surgery in the brain.
  • Epilepsy or stroke.
  • History of substance abuse in the last 6 months.
  • Use of carbamazepine in the last 6 months.
  • Severe depression (Beck Depression Index II of 29 or more).
  • Diagnosed psychiatric pathology.
  • Rheumatic pathology not medically controlled.
  • Coexisting autoimmune pathology.
  • Chronic inflammatory disease (rheumatoid arthritis, erythematosus systemic lupus, inflammatory bowel disease).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Real tDCS + exerciseTherapeutic exerciseTranscranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Sham tDCS + exerciseSham tDCSSham transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Real tDCS + exerciseReal tDCSTranscranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Sham tDCS + exerciseTherapeutic exerciseSham transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in referred pain area after suprathreshold pressure stimulation from baseline to post-treatmentBaseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

A pressure algometer (Force Ten™, Wagner Instruments, USA) will be used. It will be performed on the infraspinatus muscle (point equidistant between the midpoint of the spine of the scapula, the inferior angle of the scapula and the midpoint of the medial border of the scapula) at a constant suprathreshold pressure (20% above the pressure pain threshold) for 60 seconds.

After the stimulation, the subject should draw the induced pain area on a digital bodychart using the Navigate Pain application (Navigate Pain, Aalborg University, Denmark).

Change in pain intensity from baseline to post-treatmentBaseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

It will be measured with a visual analog scale (VAS) of 100 millimeters in length. The subject has to indicate the level of pain he feels, being 0 the absence of pain and 100 the maximum imaginable

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Fibromyalgia Impact Quality-of-LifeBaseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

It will be measured with the version adapted to the Spanish of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). The scale ranges from 0 to 100. Higher values represent a worse result.

AnxietyBaseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

The version adapted to Spanish from the State Scale (STAI-ES) of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) will be used. The scale ranges from 0 to 60. Higher values represent a worse result.

Pain catastrophizingBaseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

The Spanish version of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) will be used. The scale ranges from 0 to 52. Higher values represent a worse result.

DepressionBaseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

The adaptation to the Spanish of Beck Depression Inventory II will be used. The scale ranges from 0 to 63. Higher values represent a worse result.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hospital General Nuestra Señora del Prado

🇪🇸

Talavera De La Reina, Toledo, Spain

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