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Effects of tDCS and tUS on Pain Perception in OA of the Knee

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Transcranial Ultrasound (TUS) on the Perception of Pain and Functional Limitations Due to Osteoarthritis of the Knee

NCT02723929•Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in conjunction with transcranial ultrasound (TUS) on pain perception and functional limitations in people with osteoarthritis of the knee. The investigators hypothesize that there will be a decrease in pain levels with active stimulation, when compared to sham stimulation.

Eligibility

Age

18 - 85 years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion Criteria

•1. Able to provide informed consent to participate in the study.
•2. Subjects between 18-85 years old.
•3. Diagnosis of chronic osteoarthritis with pain of either knee as self-reported.
•4. Existing knee pain of at least 3 on a 0-10 VAS scale on average over the past 6 months.
•5. Pain of at least 3 on a 0-10 VAS scale on average over the week prior to the first stimulation session.
•6. Pain resistant to common analgesics and medications for chronic pain used as initial pain management such as Tylenol, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Soma, Parafon Forte DCS, Zanaflex, and Codeine.
•7. Having the ability to feel pain as self-reported.

Exclusion Criteria

•1. Pregnancy or trying to become pregnant in the next 6 months.
•2. History of alcohol or drug abuse within the past 6 months as self-reported
•3. Contraindications to transcranial brain stimulation or TUS, i.e. implanted brain medical devices or implanted brain metallic devices.
•4. Unstable medical conditions (e.g. uncontrolled diabetes, uncompensated cardiac issues, heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
•5. Epilepsy.
•6. Use of carbamazepine within the past 6 months as self-reported.
•7. Suffering from severe depression (with a score of \>30 in the Beck Depression Inventory)
•8. History of unexplained fainting spells as self-reported.
•9. Head injury resulting in more than a momentary loss of consciousness
•10. History of neurosurgery as self-reported.

Locations (1)

Spaulding Rehabilitation Network Research Institute

Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States

Key Dates

Start Date

September 1, 2016

Primary Completion Date

August 15, 2019

Completion Date

December 7, 2026

Last Updated

September 29, 2025

Enrollment

ACTUAL participants

Conditions

Chronic PainOsteoarthritis

Interventions

active low-intensity transcranial electrical stimulation/active transcranial ultrasound

DEVICE

Sham low-intensity transcranial electrical stimulation/sham transcranial ultrasound

DEVICE

A Study of Orforglipron (LY3502970) in Participants With Obesity or Overweight and Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee

NCT07153471

Osteoarthritis

View study

RECRUITINGPHASE1

A Phase Ib Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of HRS-2129 in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

NCT07351968

Moderate Pain in Knee OsteoarthritisSevere Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis

View study

Data Source & Attribution

This clinical trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

ClinicalTrials.gov last update: September 29, 2025Data synced to Clareo: March 29, 2026

Modifications: This data has been reformatted for display purposes. Eligibility criteria have been parsed into inclusion/exclusion sections. Location data has been geocoded to enable distance-based search. For the authoritative and most current information, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Neither the United States Government nor Clareo Health make any warranties regarding the data. Check ClinicalTrials.gov frequently for updates.

View ClinicalTrials.gov Terms and Conditions

Effects of tDCS and tUS on Pain Perception in OA of the Knee

Inclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

A Study of Orforglipron (LY3502970) in Participants With Obesity or Overweight and Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee

A Phase Ib Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of HRS-2129 in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

CBD for Pain Following Orthopedic Shoulder Surgery

General vs Spinal in Total Joint Arthroplasty (TJA)

PENG Block Variants With Dexamethasone and Dexmedetomidine in Older Adults

A Randomized Pilot rTMS Trial for Knee Arthritis Pain and Depression