Chronic PainWarriorsNCT05254379
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Warriors Experiencing Chronic Pain
A study testing tDCS in people with Chronic Pain and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), run by Emory University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The Veteran population has been known to deal with co-morbid chronic pain and PTSD. As a result, they use healthcare services at a higher rate than those Veterans with pain or PTSD alone which leads to an amplified burden on healthcare systems. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 89 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Pain, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression
- What is being tested?
- tDCS
- Type of treatment
- Medical device
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 38 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 Mar 2022to 31 May 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 to 89 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Male or Female, 18 -89 years old
- Treated on site for EHVP IOP
- For long-term follow-up, must live in Georgia or Florida
- Eligible for EHVP-IOP PTSD or Unified Protocol tracks
- Willing to self-administer tDCS and complete the measures
- DVPRS pain intensity of 4 or more for most of the day at least 3 days per week
- Have an established PCP (Primary Care Provider) or pain management provider
Who cannot join
- Implanted pacemaker
- Seizure Disorder
- Pregnancy, if applicable
- Any new onset of the following:
- Balance problems
- Difficulty walking
Show all 32Show fewer
- Bladder incontinence
- Bowel incontinence
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Weakness
- Medical contraindications:
- Current use of sodium channel blockers
- Lidocaine (OTC/transdermal delivery is ok)
- Mexiletine
- Amitriptyline; other tricyclic antidepressants
- Anti-epileptic medications
- Phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, rufinamide, lacosamide and eslicarbazepine acetate
- Current use of calcium channel blockers
- Current use of N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists
- Ketamine
- Dextromethorphan
- Felbamate
- History of brain surgery
- History of brain tumor
- History of seizure disorder
- History of stroke
- Intracranial metal implantation
- Adults unable to consent
- Individuals who are not yet adults
- Prisoners
- Non-English speaking
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Emory Division of Psychiatry
Atlanta, Georgia, 30329
About this study
Official title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Warriors Experiencing Chronic Pain (tDCS for Warriors)
The Veteran population has been known to deal with co-morbid chronic pain and PTSD. As a result, they use healthcare services at a higher rate than those Veterans with pain or PTSD alone which leads to an amplified burden on healthcare systems.
tDCS is a painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents (at a constant, low-intensity level) to stimulate specific parts of the brain and help modulate neuronal activity. This study hypothesizes that our short-term therapy-focused treatment program coupled with tDCS administrations will aid in the reduction of chronic pain and PTSD symptoms. Secondly, the investigators intend to examine any relationships between BDNF reduction in reported pain and PTSD and related mental health symptoms. Subjects will be identified from the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP-IOP) Veterans and Service members seeking psychiatric treatment for mental health issues including PTSD.
Read the detailed description
The Veteran population has been known to deal with co-morbid chronic pain and PTSD. As a result, they use healthcare services at a higher rate than those Veterans with pain or PTSD alone which leads to an amplified burden on healthcare systems. In the process of seeking relief and treatment in the healthcare systems, Veterans may use opioid medications to treat chronic pain which puts them at risk for harmful consequences.
This study will be an open trial providing a non-opioid, self-administered, effective pain intervention as part of an effective mental health treatment program. A transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device will be utilized in combination with a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focused intensive outpatient program (IOP). Additionally, blood and saliva will be collected during this study to perform brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) assays comparing outcomes from specific visits: pre-treatment (tx), mid-tx, and post-tx.
The study will take place at the Brain Health Center (BHC) located at 12 Executive Park in the Veterans Program Department.
Subjects will be identified from the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP-IOP) Veterans and Service members seeking psychiatric treatment for mental health issues. Incoming patients will be screened for this study and consented prior to the start of their treatment program participation. An electronic consent will be conducted using the REDCap e-Consent framework. A partial waiver of consent is requested to be able to review identifiable information to determine a potential subject's eligibility status.
This study hypothesizes that our short-term therapy-focused treatment program coupled with tDCS administrations will aid in the reduction of chronic pain . Secondly, we intend to examine reductions in PTSD and related mental health symptoms and any relationships between BDNF reduction in reported pain and PTSD and related mental health symptoms.
- Being tested
- tDCS
- Keywords
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), Veterans
- Medical subject headings
- Chronic Pain, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
tDCSDevice
tDCS is a painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents (at a constant, low-intensity level) to stimulate specific parts of the brain and help modulate neuronal activity. Participants will receive a series of tDCS treatments during the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) coupled with blood and saliva collections.
Participants will administer a stimulation session via the Soterix 1x1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator, after being provided a single-use code to unlock the device by the research staff once proper contact quality is achieved. After the participant enters the unlock code, the screen on the device will show a timer that counts down the minutes until the end of the session. After 20 min, the device will turn off automatically and the study staff will instruct the participant to remove the headset and discard the sponges and to store safely all materials for the next session.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) | Experimental | Participants will be assigned to tDCS intervention. Starting Day 1 of EHVP-IOP, remote-based tDCS will be administered with a constant current intensity for 20 min per session for up to 10 sessions over 2 weeks (one session per day) using a Soterix 1x1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator with headgear and saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes. Therapy sessions will be performed over Zoom. With the exception of day one when the session will occur on its own, the sessions will occur within one hour of the start of the daily therapy session. Receives: Device: tDCS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Pain Intensity
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits.
For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Measured: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Activity
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits.
For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Measured: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Mood
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits.
For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Measured: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Sleep
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits.
For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Measured: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Stress
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits.
For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Measured: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Secondary outcomes (5)
Changes in PROMIS 3a Pain Intensity
Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures use answers provided directly by patients to assess their symptoms, functioning, and overall well-being. The PROMIS Pain Intensity Short Form 3a assesses pain intensity using three patient-reported items: (1) pain intensity at its worst during the past 7 days, (2) average pain intensity during the past 7 days, and (3) pain intensity right now. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (no pain) to 5 (very severe pain).
Responses to the three items are summed to obtain a raw score ranging from 3 to 15, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.
Measured: Day 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Changes in PROMIS 8a Pain Interference
The PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form 8a assesses the self-reported impact of pain on daily functioning and quality of life. The instrument consists of 8 items evaluating the extent to which pain interferes with social, cognitive, emotional, physical, and recreational activities, as well as enjoyment of life and sleep, over the past 7 days. Example items include: "In the past 7 days, how much did pain interfere with your day-to-day activities?" and "In the past 7 days, how much did pain interfere with the things you usually do for fun?"
Each item is rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very much). Item scores are summed to obtain a total raw score ranging from 8 to 40, where higher scores indicate greater pain interference and a worse outcome.
Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures use responses provided directly by patients to assess symptoms, functioning, and overall well-being.
Measured: Day 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
PTSD Checklist- PCL-5
The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report measure of PTSD severity in the past week, during treatment, and a month for follow-up. Each item ranges from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). Total scores range from 0 to 80. Cut points and psychometrics are pulled from the most recent studies on the new PCL-5. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care.
Measured: Baseline, Days 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 (PHQ-9)
The PHQ-9 is a 9-item, well-validated measure of depression and a secondary outcome. The PHQ-9 assesses symptoms of major depression in the past two weeks from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) and has excellent internal and test-retest reliability as well as construct and criterion validity (80). The PHQ-9 is effective in detecting treatment changes in depression in PC settings.
Score on a scale sum of all 9 items rated on a 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day) scale, with higher meaning more depressed. Total scores range from 0 to 27.
Measured: Intake, Days 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up.
Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Blood
On each study day (Days 2, 5, 7, 11), three samples were obtained: before the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) session, immediately before the therapy session, and after the therapy session. BDNF concentrations were measured in pg/mL.
To quantify within-day changes in BDNF, measurements from the three time points were combined using the Area Under the Curve with Respect to Increase (AUCI) method described by Pruessner et al. (2003). The resulting AUCI values were log-transformed to improve the normality of the distribution. AUCI values may be positive or negative and have no predefined minimum or maximum value. Positive values indicate an overall increase in BDNF concentrations across the session, whereas negative values indicate that later BDNF measurements were lower than the initial measurement. Higher values reflect a greater increase in BDNF during the study
Measured: Days 2, 5 and 11 of the intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Feb 2022
- Study start2 Mar 2022
- Primary completion31 May 2025
- Study completion31 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Chronic PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Emory UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 38 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Emory University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Wounded Warrior Project
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sheila Rauch, Emory University
- Investigators
- Sheila Rauch, PhD, Principal investigator, Emory UniversityBarbara O Rothbaum, Principal investigator, Emory UniversityBoadie W Dunlop, MD, Principal investigator, Emory University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05254379
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00003899
- Acronym
- Warriors
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Feb 2022
- Last updated
- 21 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- Yes
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Treatment for Warriors Experiencing Chronic Pain (tDCS for Warriors)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05254379
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Warriors / STUDY00003899
- Keywords
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), Veterans
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 38 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Emory UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Wounded Warrior Project
- Study start
- 2 Mar 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 24 Feb 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 21 Aug 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The Veteran population has been known to deal with co-morbid chronic pain and PTSD. As a result, they use healthcare services at a higher rate than those Veterans with pain or PTSD alone which leads to an amplified burden on healthcare systems.
tDCS is a painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents (at a constant, low-intensity level) to stimulate specific parts of the brain and help modulate neuronal activity. This study hypothesizes that our short-term therapy-focused treatment program coupled with tDCS administrations will aid in the reduction of chronic pain and PTSD symptoms. Secondly, the investigators intend to examine any relationships between BDNF reduction in reported pain and PTSD and related mental health symptoms. Subjects will be identified from the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP-IOP) Veterans and Service members seeking psychiatric treatment for mental health issues including PTSD.
Detailed description
The Veteran population has been known to deal with co-morbid chronic pain and PTSD. As a result, they use healthcare services at a higher rate than those Veterans with pain or PTSD alone which leads to an amplified burden on healthcare systems. In the process of seeking relief and treatment in the healthcare systems, Veterans may use opioid medications to treat chronic pain which puts them at risk for harmful consequences.
This study will be an open trial providing a non-opioid, self-administered, effective pain intervention as part of an effective mental health treatment program. A transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device will be utilized in combination with a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focused intensive outpatient program (IOP). Additionally, blood and saliva will be collected during this study to perform brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) assays comparing outcomes from specific visits: pre-treatment (tx), mid-tx, and post-tx.
The study will take place at the Brain Health Center (BHC) located at 12 Executive Park in the Veterans Program Department.
Subjects will be identified from the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program (EHVP-IOP) Veterans and Service members seeking psychiatric treatment for mental health issues. Incoming patients will be screened for this study and consented prior to the start of their treatment program participation. An electronic consent will be conducted using the REDCap e-Consent framework. A partial waiver of consent is requested to be able to review identifiable information to determine a potential subject's eligibility status.
This study hypothesizes that our short-term therapy-focused treatment program coupled with tDCS administrations will aid in the reduction of chronic pain . Secondly, we intend to examine reductions in PTSD and related mental health symptoms and any relationships between BDNF reduction in reported pain and PTSD and related mental health symptoms.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) | Experimental | Device: tDCSParticipants will be assigned to tDCS intervention. Starting Day 1 of EHVP-IOP, remote-based tDCS will be administered with a constant current intensity for 20 min per session for up to 10 sessions over 2 weeks (one session per day) using a Soterix 1x1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator with headgear and saline-soaked surface sponge electrodes. Therapy sessions will be performed over Zoom. With the exception of day one when the session will occur on its own, the sessions will occur within one hour of the start of the daily therapy session. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 89 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Male or Female, 18 -89 years old
- Treated on site for EHVP IOP
- For long-term follow-up, must live in Georgia or Florida
- Eligible for EHVP-IOP PTSD or Unified Protocol tracks
- Willing to self-administer tDCS and complete the measures
Key exclusion criteria (32 listed)
- Implanted pacemaker
- Seizure Disorder
- Pregnancy, if applicable
- Any new onset of the following:
- Medical contraindications:
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| tDCStDCS is a painless brain stimulation treatment that uses direct electrical currents (at a constant, low-intensity level) to stimulate specific parts of the brain and help modulate neuronal activity. Participants will receive a series of tDCS treatments during the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) coupled with blood and saliva collections. Participants will administer a stimulation session via the Soterix 1x1 tDCS mini-CT Stimulator, after being provided a single-use code to unlock the device by the research staff once proper contact quality is achieved. After the participant enters the unlock code, the screen on the device will show a timer that counts down the minutes until the end of the session. After 20 min, the device will turn off automatically and the study staff will instruct the participant to remove the headset and discard the sponges and to store safely all materials for the next session. | Device | Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation (tDCS) |
Primary outcome
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Pain Intensity
Time frame: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits. For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Activity
Time frame: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits. For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Mood
Time frame: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits. For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Sleep
Time frame: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits. For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Stress
Time frame: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
The DVPRS assesses chronic pain using a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, including general level of pain, and assessment of interference with daily activities, mood, sleep, and stress in 5 subscales. It is widely used in clinical care and research and has demonstrated reliability and validity within the military and Veteran population. This is a clinical measure collected per standard of care at intake. However, this measure was collected for research purposes at additional timepoints, including each tDCS session, 1-10, and all follow-up visits. For each subscale, this is a visual analogue scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores meaning more intensity or interference
5 secondary outcomes
Changes in PROMIS 3a Pain Intensity
Time frame: Day 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Changes in PROMIS 8a Pain Interference
Time frame: Day 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
PTSD Checklist- PCL-5
Time frame: Baseline, Days 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up
Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 (PHQ-9)
Time frame: Intake, Days 1 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up.
Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Blood
Time frame: Days 2, 5 and 11 of the intervention
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Aug 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Chronic Pain
Recruiting
Empowered Relief® for Cancer Survivors With Chronic Pain
Chronic Pain Due to Cancer, Pain Catastrophizing
RecruitingObservational study
Pain Phenotypes in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Pain
Not yet recruiting
Effect of Lumbar Stabilization Exercises With and Without YTWL (Scapular Stabilization Exercises) on Reducing Chronic Low Back Pain and Related Disability. A Randomized Clinical Trial,
Chronic Non Specific Mechanical Low Back Pain
Not yet recruiting
Comparing Non-Medicine Strategies for Improving Low Back Pain
Chronic Low-back Pain (cLBP), High-Impact Chronic Pain (HICP)
Not yet recruiting
Effect of Pectoral Nerve Block (PECS) Using Magnesium Sulfate Added to Dexamethasone on Quality of Recovery and Chronic Post-Mastectomy Pain
Breast Cancer, Postoperative Pain
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sheila Rauch, PhD principal investigator
Emory University
Barbara O Rothbaum principal investigator
Emory University
Boadie W Dunlop, MD principal investigator
Emory University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing tDCS in people with Chronic Pain and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), run by Emory University at 1 site in United States.
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 7 inclusion and 32 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 21 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 21 Aug 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Changes in Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS): Pain Intensity (time frame: Intake, Days 1,5, 8 and 12 of intervention and at months 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 of follow-up). The study lists 5 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 21 Aug 2026.