Status:
NOT_YET_RECRUITING
The Added Value of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) During Exercise for People With Chronic Widespread Pain
Lead Sponsor:
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Conditions:
Chronic Widespread Pain
Fibromyalgia (FM)
Eligibility:
All Genders
18-70 years
Phase:
NA
Brief Summary
Many people with chronic widespread pain (CWP) feel more pain and fatigue after exercise. This makes it hard to stay active. Unfortunately, the investigators do not fully understand why this happens a...
Detailed Description
Many people with chronic widespread pain (CWP), such as those with fibromyalgia, experience increased pain in response to exercise, which discourages continued physical activity. Although abnormal gen...
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion
- Patients
- Participants in the patient group must meet all of the following criteria:
- Diagnosis of chronic widespread pain (CWP) or fibromyalgia;
- Age between 18 and 70 years old;
- Body mass index (BMI) ≤ 35;
- Widespread Pain Index (WPI) assessment: the WPI questionnaire (0-19 points) will be used to record the number and distribution of painful body sites. Participants will be classified as having CWP if pain is reported on both sides of the body, above and below the waist, and in the axial skeleton, with pain symptoms lasting ≥ 3 months;
- Stable medication use for at least 1 month prior to study entry.
- Healthy control group
- Participants in the healthy control group must meet all of the following criteria:
- Age between 18 and 70 years old;
- Body mass index (BMI) ≤ 35;
- No chronic conditions, such as chronic pain and diabetes.
Exclusion
- For both patients and healthy controls, participants will be excluded if they meet any of the following:
- Current pregnancy or pregnancy within the past 12 months;
- Contraindications for non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), in line with published safety guidelines;
- History of neurological disorders, including epilepsy (personal or family history), traumatic brain injury, stroke, dementia, or Parkinson's disease;
- Major medical conditions, including cancer, endocrine or metabolic disorders, urine, genital and cardiovascu-lar diseases (e.g., myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmia, uncontrolled hypertension).
- Substance abuse.
- Presence of psychiatric disorders other than depression or anxiety.
Key Trial Info
Start Date :
February 1 2026
Trial Type :
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation :
ESTIMATED
End Date :
June 30 2028
Estimated Enrollment :
120 Patients enrolled
Trial Details
Trial ID
NCT07212829
Start Date
February 1 2026
End Date
June 30 2028
Last Update
January 8 2026
Active Locations (1)
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1
VUB
Jette, Belgium, 1090