Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Modulation of Affect and Pain

Launched by TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE · May 22, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring how a special type of brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects pain perception and decision-making related to pain. Specifically, researchers want to see how stimulating a part of the brain known as the primary motor cortex can change how people feel and respond to pain, as well as how they make decisions about pain when it involves money and others' experiences. The study will involve up to 50 participants aged 18 to 55, all of whom should be fluent in English and able to follow the experimental tasks.

Participants will take part in four sessions: one session to calibrate pain levels and three sessions where they will receive different types of stimulation (either active or sham, which means it’s not real stimulation) while undergoing pain tests and decision-making tasks in an MRI machine. The researchers hope to find that certain types of stimulation will lower or raise pain ratings and influence how people value pain in social situations. It’s important to note that those with certain health conditions, like a history of psychiatric disorders or chronic pain, won’t be eligible to join the study.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • ages 18-55
• • Participants must be capable of performing experimental tasks (e.g., are able to read)
• • Fluent or native speakers of English
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • No self-reported current or history of depression, bipolar disorder, or other psychiatric diagnosis.
• • No self-reported current seizure disorder (i.e., seizure within past 10 years)
• • No history of stroke or other major neurological diagnosis.
• • No self-reported current chronic pain, or acute pain within three months of the study period.
• • No current migraine disorder (i.e., 15 headache days or more in 1 month).
• • No use of central nervous system-effective medication or other medication for neurological/psychiatric treatment. No self-reported substance abuse within the last six months.
• • No contraindication to MRI or tDCS (e.g., pregnancy, claustrophobia, pacemakers, ear/cochlear implants, shrapnel injuries, clips, or other ferromagnetic/electrical objects/devices, diagnosed brain abnormality such as tumor, or skin lesions on the scalp.).
• • No contraindications for induced pain (e.g., no heart disease, high blood pressure, heart surgery, heart problems of any kind, severe asthma, respiratory problems of any kind, fibromyalgia, Raynaud's Syndrome or Disease, chronic pain, diabetes).