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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Chemotherapy-Related Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivors
Sponsor: Instituto de investigación e innovación biomédica de Cádiz
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with a working-memory task can treat chronic pain and related emotional and cognitive problems after chemotherapy in adult cancer survivors. tDCS is a non-invasive and painless technique that uses a very weak electrical current, applied through two small electrodes on the head, to modulate the activity of certain brain areas. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does tDCS reduce chronic pain intensity after chemotherapy in cancer survivors? * Does tDCS also reduce anxiety, depression, and cognitive problems, and improve the regulation of cortisol, a stress-related hormone? * Are the effects on pain, anxiety, depression, cognitive problems, and cortisol sustained when treatment continues with a maintenance phase of up to 2 months? Researchers will compare real tDCS to sham (placebo) tDCS, a look-alike procedure that does not deliver effective stimulation, to see if real tDCS works to reduce pain and improve these symptoms. Participants will: * Receive real or sham tDCS (assigned by chance) in 5 daily sessions over 1 week. Each session lasts 20 minutes: 10 minutes at rest and 10 minutes while doing a working-memory task * If they did not respond to sham tDCS, be offered 5 additional daily sessions of real tDCS * If they respond to treatment, continue with real tDCS twice a week for up to 2 months * Complete assessments of pain, mood, memory, attention, and quality of life before treatment, after each phase, and during and at the end of the maintenance phase * Collect saliva samples to measure cortisol
Official title: Leveraging the Therapeutic Benefits of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to Treat Chemotherapy-related Chronic Pain and Psycho-cognitive Comorbidities in Cancer Survivors
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
60
Start Date
2026-11
Completion Date
2028-11
Last Updated
2026-11-03
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Active tDCS with Sternberg task
Nurostym tES stimulator (Neuro Device Group SA, Poland; CE-marked) with two saline-soaked sponge electrodes. Anode over the primary motor cortex (C3/C4, 10-20 system, contralateral to the most affected side), cathode over the contralateral supraorbital region. 2 mA for 20 minutes with 30-second ramp-up and ramp-down. During each session, the first 10 minutes are at rest and the next 10 minutes are while performing the Sternberg working-memory task. Acute phase and crossover: 5 consecutive daily sessions. Maintenance: 2 sessions per week for up to 2 months.
Sham tDCS with Sternberg task
Same device, electrode placement, and session schedule as active tDCS, with current delivered only during the 30-second ramp-up and ramp-down at the beginning and end of the session to mimic the sensation of active stimulation, without sustained stimulation. Participants also perform the Sternberg working-memory task (10 minutes at rest, then 10 minutes performing the task). 5 consecutive daily sessions in the acute phase.
Locations (2)
Jerez de la Frontera University Hospital
Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain
Puerta del Mar University Hospital
Cadiz, Cádiz, Spain