Neuropathic Pain Intervention With tDCS in Brazilian Military Personnel (NeuBRAIN Trial)

Launched by HOSPITAL DA POLÍCIA MILITAR DE GOIÁS · May 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The NeuBRAIN Trial is a study looking at a new way to help military personnel in Brazil who suffer from chronic pain and have trouble sleeping. The researchers want to see if a treatment called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can reduce pain and improve sleep quality. This treatment is non-invasive, meaning it doesn’t involve surgery or needles, and it could be a helpful alternative to traditional medications, which often have side effects and may not work for everyone.

To be eligible for this study, participants must be active military members or veterans aged 18 and older who experience chronic pain related to nerve damage and have poor sleep quality. They should have a pain level of at least 40 out of 100 and have been stable on their medications for at least six weeks. However, there are some exclusions, such as having a history of certain medical conditions or not being able to provide consent. Those who participate can expect to receive either the tDCS treatment or a placebo (a fake treatment) and will help researchers learn more about how effective this method can be for improving their daily lives.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion criteria:
• • Military personnel (active and veterans) with chronic pain due to central or peripheral neuropathy and poor sleep quality;
• • Age over 18 years old;
• • Defined chronic NeP according to current guidelines (ICD-10 codes OR DN-4);
• • Pain with an average intensity score above 40/100 mm on a visual analogue scale (VAS);
• • Medication stability (chronic pain, depression, anxiety, sleep) for at least six weeks;
• • Patients with bad sleep quality identified by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) of 5 or more who do not improve under conventional treatment.
• Exclusion criteria:
• • General contraindications for tDCS: past head trauma, current epilepsy, intracranial ferromagnetic components, pacemaker, implanted microprocessors (i.e., cochlear implants);
• • Pregnancy;
• • Known major psychiatric disorders (as assessed by the DSM-5, e.g., psychosis), history of substance abuse, or work litigation issues;
• • History of chronic refractory migraines;
• • Non-treated moderate to severe sleep apnea defined as apnea/hypopnea index greater than 15 events per hour in baseline polysomnography;
• • Skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema that involve the scalp (Thair et al, 2017);
• • Cancer-related pain;
• • BMI \>35, due to increased reports of pain associated with increased BMI (Basem, et al., 2021; Stokes et al., 2020);
• • Patients who do not sign informed consent or do not want to participate in the study.