MedPath

UHCDS a-tDCS Combined With Therapeutic Exercise in Fibromyalgia Patients

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Fibromyalgia
Interventions
Device: Therapeutic exercise
Device: Real UHCDS a-tDCS
Device: Sham UHCDS a-tDCS
Registration Number
NCT05726149
Lead Sponsor
University of Castilla-La Mancha
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to assess the effects on fatigue and sleep of Unihemispheric Concurrent Dual-Site anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise in Fibromyalgia patients.

Detailed Description

Fibromyalgia (FM) 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.

Apart from the widespread chronic pain characteristic of this syndrome, fatigue is a very disabling symptom in this pathology. It is a complicated, multifactorial, disconcerting and very persistent symptom that is highly frequent in FM. A vast majority of the published studies have focused the symptoms studied in FM on pain, while fatigue and sleep disturbances, despite not being minor symptoms, have not received the same attention.

Neuromodulation treatments with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been shown to induce significant analgesia in FM through modification of sensory processing of pain by thalamic inhibitory circuits and improvement of sleep architecture. On the other hand, therapeutic exercise (TE) programs based on aerobic work and global muscle strengthening have been shown to have a beneficial effect in reducing the pain and severity of FM.

None of the four studies conducted so far combining tDCS and TE in fibromyalgia have evaluated the effect on fatigue or sleep. Currently, various studies conclude that Unihemispheric Concurrent Dual-Site anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (UHCDS a-tDCS) on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and M1 produces a 50% greater modulation of corticospinal excitability. To date, no RCT has studied its effect in subjects with FM.

The present study aims to investigate the effect of UHCDS a-tDCS combined with TE on fatigue and sleep quality in subjects with FM.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
90
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age between 18 and 65 years.
  • Fulfilled the 2010 American Colleague of Rheumatology criteria for fibromyalgia.
  • 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.
  • 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
Sham UHCDS a-TDCS + Therapeutic ExerciseTherapeutic exerciseSham unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Therapeutic ExerciseTherapeutic exerciseTherapeutic exercise.
Real UHCDS a-TDCS + Therapeutic ExerciseTherapeutic exerciseReal unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Real UHCDS a-TDCS + Therapeutic ExerciseReal UHCDS a-tDCSReal unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Sham UHCDS a-TDCS + Therapeutic ExerciseSham UHCDS a-tDCSSham unihemispheric concurrent dual-site anodal transcranial direct current stimulation combined with therapeutic exercise
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in fatigue from baseline to post-treatment as assessed by MFI.Baseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

The version adapted to Spanish from the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) will be used. The scale ranges from 0 to 100. Higher values represent a worse result.

Change in sleep quality from baseline to post-treatment as assessed by MOS-SS.Baseline; immediately after intervention; 1-month after intervention

The version adapted to Spanish from the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) will be used. The scale ranges from 0 to 100. Higher values represent a worse result.

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.

BlindingImmediately after intervention.

Blinding of subjects and researchers will be assessed using the James Index.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado

🇪🇸

Talavera De La Reina, Toledo, Spain

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath