Recruiting

tACS, tRNS, EEG, fMRI

Sponsor:

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Code:

NCT06968689

Conditions

Pain

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Sham

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Study Details

Brief summary:

The purpose of this study is to assess thalamocortical (TC) connectivity during tonic pressure pain, to evaluate alpha activity during tonic pressure pain and to determine pressure pain ratings by using Electroencephalography (EEG), Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), sham and Transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Conditions

Pain

Study ID

NCT06968689

Start date

Jun 1, 2025

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Feb 29, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 60

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Meet the MRI / EEG screening criteria
  • Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current or history of major medical, neurological, or psychiatric illness based on self-report
  • History of cardiac, respiratory, or nervous system disease that, in the investigator's judgment, precludes participation in the study because of a heightened potential for adverse outcome (for example: asthma or claustrophobia)
  • History of head trauma
  • Pregnant or lactating
  • Presence of any contraindications to MRI scanning (for example: cardiac pacemaker, metal implants, claustrophobia, pregnancy, cannot lie still in fMRI scanner)
  • Conditions making study participation difficult (e.g., paralysis, psychoses, or other severe psychological problems as per the judgment of a study investigator during Session 1)
  • Active substance abuse disorders (based on subject self-report)

Study Design

Enrollment

60 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: tACS then tRNS then sham

experimental: tACS then sham then tRNS

experimental: tRNS then tACS then sham

experimental: tRNS then sham then tACS

experimental: Sham then tRNS then tACS

experimental: Sham then tACS then tRNS

Interventions

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)

Participants will get a personalized brain stimulation: a 2 milliampere (mA) oscillating current that matches their natural alpha brain wave frequency (8-12 Hz), determined by a quick 3-minute EEG before the session.

Sham

Active sham stimulation with 60- second -tACS will be applied , then ramp down, and be reintroduced in the last 30 seconds to minimize awareness of the experimental condition

transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS)

Participants will still get stimulation, but at random frequencies between 1 and 200 Hz (instead of targeted alpha waves).

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in thalamocortical (TC) connectivity during tonic pressure pain using fMRI [ Time Frame: pre-stimulation, post-stimulation (about 30 minutes) ]
  • Change in alpha activity during tonic pressure pain using EEG [ Time Frame: pre-stimulation, post-stimulation (about 30 minutes) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Wen Li, PhD

(713) 486-2700Wen.Li.1@uth.tmc.edu

Jada Malveaux

(713) 486-2700Jada.Malveaux@uth.tmc.edu

Locations

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Recruiting

Houston, Texas, United States, 77030

Contacts

Wen Li, PhD

(713) 486-2700Wen.Li.1@uth.tmc.edu

Jada Malveaux

(713) 486-2700Jada.Malveaux@uth.tmc.edu

More Information

Sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Last update posted

Mar 2, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Keywords

  • Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS)

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston on 2026-03-02.