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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and the Interaction Between Chronic Pain and the Intestinal Epithelial Barrier in Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD)

Phase 3
Conditions
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Interventions
Device: Sham OR active Transcranial direct current stimulation
Registration Number
NCT03825900
Lead Sponsor
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Brief Summary

In the study the investigators aim to test whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induced pain reduction is in association with functional changes in the brain measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and also with a change in permeability of the intestinal epithelial barrier in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)

Hypothesis: Transcranial direct current stimulation can reduce the perception of pain in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, which is in association with changes in the brain measured via MRI. Additionally, transcranial direct current stimulation and the induced pain reduction influence the permeability of the intestinal epithelial barrier

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
84
Inclusion Criteria
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Chronic pain (more than 3 months)
  • Pain (VAS > 3/10)
Exclusion Criteria
  • Contraindication to transcranial direct current stimulation
  • Contraindications to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
  • Pregnancy
  • Sever internal or psychiatric condition

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Sham tDCSSham OR active Transcranial direct current stimulationSham transcranial direct current stimulation
Active tDCSSham OR active Transcranial direct current stimulationActive transcranial direct current stimulation
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Functional changes in the brain measured with cerebral MRI6 weeks

Exploratory analyses of resting-state fMRI

Changes in perception of pain measured with an algometer (pain pressure threshold)6 weeks

continuous scale form 0 kg

Structural changes in the brain measured with cerebral MRI6 weeks

Exploratory analyses of MRI with respect to DTI (diffusions tensor imaging) and VBM (voxel based morphometry)

Functional and/or structural changes in the Intestinal Epithelial Barrier measured with endoscopy of the rectum with sample-taking6 weeks
Changes in pain measured with visual analogue scale6 weeks

VAS , scale from 0-10

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Changes in functional symptoms using IBS-SSS6 weeks

IBS-SSS: irritable bowel syndrome - severity score system , questionnaire analyses functional symptoms, score running from 0 (best outcome) until 600 points (worst outcome)

Changes in inflammation biomarker (blood - C-reactive protein)6 weeks

unit: mg/dl

Changes in inflammation biomarker (stool - calprotectin)6 weeks

Unit: mg/g

Changes in pain catastrophizing scale questionnaire6 weeks

pain catastrophizing scale questionnaire analyses subjective catastrophizing due to pain, score running from 0-52 points (low points are best outcome, high points are worst outcome)

Changes in questionnaire "quality of life"6 weeks

questionnaire "quality of life" analyses daily activities, scale running from 32 points (worse outcome) to 224 points (best outcome)

Changes in activity indices using HWI questionnaire or SCCAI questionnaire6 weeks

HWI: Harvey-Bradshaw-Index, SCCAI: Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index, scale: points: 0-20 points (low points are best outcome, high points are worst outcome)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Charite University Medicine

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

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