MedPath

Analgesic Effect of Accelerated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Neuropathic Pain

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Peripheral Neuropathy
Interventions
Device: Active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
Device: Sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
Registration Number
NCT05295498
Lead Sponsor
Jakub Antczak
Brief Summary

Peripheral neuropathy is a frequent condition, commonly associated with pain. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive method of modulation of brain plasticity and is regarded as one of alternative methods to alleviate pain associated with various kind of neuropathies. rTMS is usually performed once a day and the whole therapy of neuropathic pain lasts one week. In a number of recent clinical trials including patients with depression and some other disorders, rTMS was delivered several times a day, which reduced the time of the whole therapy. This approach was termed an accelerated rTMS. The purpose of this study is to investigate feasibility of accelerated rTMS in treatment of neuropathic pain.

Detailed Description

Peripheral neuropathy is a frequent condition, commonly associated with pain, which is often drug resistant. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive method of modulation of brain plasticity. In this method, series of magnetic stimuli are delivered to the cerebral cortex, where they turn to electric current and depolarize repetitively the targeted neurons. If the stimulation is repeated during subsequent days it is capable to modify the activity of targeted cortical area for weeks or even months and by this way to achieve therapeutic effect. rTMS is most commonly used to treat drug-resistant depression but a number of other psychiatric and neurologic conditions is increasingly being regarded as therapeutic indication for rTMS. In patients suffering from neuropathic pain rTMS is delivered with high frequency, over primary motor areas (PMA). Stimulation of PMA should result in modulation of thalamic activity, achieved by antidromic excitation of thalamocortical connections. rTMS is usually performed once a day and the whole therapy of neuropathic pain lasts one week. In a number of recent clinical trials including patients with depression and some other disorders, rTMS was delivered several times a day, which reduced the time of the whole therapy. This approach was termed an accelerated rTMS. The purpose of this study is to investigate feasibility of accelerated rTMS in treatment of neuropathic pain.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
70
Inclusion Criteria
  • Diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy
  • Neuropathic pain of constant severity since not less than a month and requiring use of analgesics more than once a week
  • Score of 30 millimeter or more on the 100 millimeter visual analog scale of pain intensity at inclusion
Exclusion Criteria
  • Severe depression
  • Personality disorders and other psychiatric conditions, which could disturb the participation in the study
  • Cognitive deficits, which could disturb the participation in the study
  • Epilepsy
  • Presence of magnetic material in the reach of magnetic field
  • Pregnancy
  • Likelihood to get pregnant
  • Intracranial electrodes

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationActive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation10 hertz (Hz) rTMS will be administered over the primary motor area. Therapy will include 6 sessions (three sessions in two consecutive days). In every sessions 1500 magnetic pulses of 90% of the resting motor threshold intensity will be elicited.
Sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationSham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationSham stimulation will mimic the active one except that the stimulating coil will be held perpendicularly to the scalp, which assures similar impression as the active stimulation but prevents that significant magnetic field will reach brain tissue.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Visual Analogue Scale of Pain Severity after rTMSThrough study completion, an average of 1 year.

An analog scale of the length of 100 millimeter. Total score of 100, with higher scores representing more severe pain. Change from baseline score in the Visual Analogue Scale to the measurement taken after finishing rTMS.

Visual Analogue Scale of Pain Severity First Follow-upBefore rTMS, up to one day after finishing rTMS.

An analog scale of the length of 100 millimeter. Total score of 100, with higher scores representing more severe pain. Change from baseline score in the Visual Analogue Scale to the measurement taken after two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Visual Analogue Scale of Pain Severity Second Follow-upBefore rTMS, four weeks after finishing rTMS.

An analog scale of the length of 100 millimeter. Total score of 100, with higher scores representing more severe pain. Change from baseline score in the Visual Analogue Scale to the measurement taken after four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Athens Insomnia Scale Second Follow-upBefore rTMS, four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Total score 24, with higher scores representing more severe insomnia. Change from baseline score in the Athens Insomnia Scale to the measurement taken four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Bilateral Dynamometric Assessment of the strength of the foot extension after rTMSBefore rTMS, up to one day after finishing rTMS.

Change from baseline strength of the foot extension to the measurement taken after finishing rTMS.

Bilateral Dynamometric Assessment of the strength of the foot extension First Follow-upBefore rTMS, two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Change from baseline strength of the foot extension to the measurement taken two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Bilateral Dynamometric Assessment of the strength of the foot extension Second Follow-upBefore rTMS, four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Change from baseline strength of the foot extension to the measurement taken four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Athens Insomnia Scale First Follow-upBefore rTMS, two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Total score 24, with higher scores representing more severe insomnia. Change from baseline score in the Athens Insomnia Scale to the measurement taken two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Athens Insomnia Scale after rTMSBefore rTMS, up to one day after finishing rTMS.

Total score 24, with higher scores representing more severe insomnia. Change from baseline score in the Athens Insomnia Scale to the measurement taken after finishing rTMS.

Numeric Pain Severity Scale after rTMSBefore rTMS, up to one day after finishing rTMS.

Total score 10, with higher scores representing more severe pain. Change from baseline score in the Numeric Pain Severity Scale to the measurement taken after finishing rTMS.

Numeric Pain Severity Scale First Follow-upBefore rTMS, two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Total score 10, with higher scores representing more severe pain. Change from baseline score in the Numeric Pain Severity Scale to the measurement taken two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Numeric Pain Severity Scale Second Follow-upBefore rTMS, four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Total score 10, with higher scores representing more severe pain. Change from baseline score in the Numeric Pain Severity Scale to the measurement taken after four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory after rTMSBefore rTMS, up to one day after finishing rTMS.

Total score 120, with higher scores representing more severe pain and other symptoms of neuropathy. Change from baseline score in the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory to the measurement taken after finishing rTMS.

Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory First Follow-upBefore rTMS, two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Total score 120, with higher scores representing more severe pain and other symptoms of neuropathy. Change from baseline score in the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory to the measurement taken two weeks after finishing rTMS.

Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory Second Follow-upBefore rTMS, four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Total score 120, with higher scores representing more severe pain and other symptoms of neuropathy. Change from baseline score in the Neuropathic Pain Symptoms Inventory to the measurement taken four weeks after finishing rTMS.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Jagiellonian University Medical College

🇵🇱

Kraków, Poland

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath