Please note that the copy function is not enabled for this field.
If you wish to
modify
existing outcomes, please copy and paste the current outcome text into the Update field.
LOGIN
CREATE ACCOUNT
LOGIN
CREATE ACCOUNT
MY TRIALS
REGISTER TRIAL
FAQs
HINTS AND TIPS
DEFINITIONS
Trial Review
The ANZCTR website will be unavailable from 1pm until 3pm (AEDT) on Wednesday the 30th of October for website maintenance. Please be sure to log out of the system in order to avoid any loss of data.
The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been endorsed by the ANZCTR. Before participating in a study, talk to your health care provider and refer to this
information for consumers
Download to PDF
Trial registered on ANZCTR
Registration number
ACTRN12624001143516p
Ethics application status
Not yet submitted
Date submitted
4/09/2024
Date registered
20/09/2024
Date last updated
20/09/2024
Date data sharing statement initially provided
20/09/2024
Type of registration
Prospectively registered
Titles & IDs
Public title
Exploring whether home-based neuromodulation can prevent the transition from acute to chronic low back pain
Query!
Scientific title
Exploring whether home-based neuromodulation can prevent the transition from acute to chronic low back pain in adults
Query!
Secondary ID [1]
312766
0
None
Query!
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Query!
Trial acronym
Query!
Linked study record
Query!
Health condition
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied:
Low back pain
334806
0
Query!
Condition category
Condition code
Musculoskeletal
331365
331365
0
0
Query!
Other muscular and skeletal disorders
Query!
Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Query!
Description of intervention(s) / exposure
Intervention group: active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
Participants will first be given a detailed demonstration of tDCS by a trained investigator. An instructional video regarding correct headpiece positioning for use at home will be provided. Participants will then be assessed their ability to administer and operate the device safely against checklist procedures, and if able to complete all procedures they will be permitted to continue in the trial.
Participants in the intervention group will receive 20 minutes of active home-based tDCS on five consecutive days per week for a total of two weeks. This two-week period of tDCS is consistent with the available literature in chronic pain conditions and laboratory-based studies.
During active tDCS, stimulation with a constant current intensity of 2 mA will be applied over the motor cortex using a Soterix mini-CT Stimulator (Soterix Medical Inc.) with a coded study mode to facilitate randomisation and blinding. The current is delivered via two 5x7cm saline-soaked sponge electrodes. Adherence will be monitored via ElectraRx, a Soterix Medical software platform that can be used by clinicians and patients to facilitate prescribed neuromodulation treatments. Participants’ scheduled treatments will be programmed into ElectraRx by the researcher, and at the end of each session the participant will be provided with a code (via the tDCS device) that can be inputted into the software to confirm the treatment was completed. ElectraRx keeps a record of all scheduled, completed and missed treatments.
Query!
Intervention code [1]
329296
0
Treatment: Devices
Query!
Intervention code [2]
329297
0
Prevention
Query!
Comparator / control treatment
Control: sham tDCS
Participants will first be given a detailed demonstration of tDCS by a trained investigator. An instructional video regarding correct headpiece positioning for use at home will be provided. Participants will then be assessed their ability to administer and operate the device safely against checklist procedures, and if able to complete all procedures they will be permitted to continue in the trial.
Participants in the control group will receive 20 minutes of sham home-based tDCS on five consecutive days per week for a total of two weeks. During sham tDCS, stimulation will be applied over the motor cortex using a Soterix mini-CT Stimulator (Soterix Medical Inc.) with a coded study mode to facilitate randomisation and blinding. The current is delivered via two 5x7cm saline-soaked sponge electrodes. The sham condition will involve identical procedures to the active tDCS, but will only deliver a 30s “ramp up” and “ramp down” stimulation that will range between 0 and 2mA. This replicates the initial tingling sensation of active tDCS, improving the likelihood of blinding success, but is unlikely a sufficient duration to induce any appreciable modulatory effects on the brain. The remainder of the 20-minute intervention period will involve delivery of stimulation averaging no more than 0.002mA (leakage current from the stimulator).
Query!
Control group
Placebo
Query!
Outcomes
Primary outcome [1]
339127
0
Pain intensity
Query!
Assessment method [1]
339127
0
Visual analogue scale (VAS)
Query!
Timepoint [1]
339127
0
Baseline, daily for two weeks during intervention, immediately post-completion of intervention, weekly for weeks 1-12 post-completion of intervention (12 weeks/3 months is the primary timepoint)
Query!
Primary outcome [2]
339128
0
Mechanical sensitivity measured via pressure pain threshold (PPT)
Query!
Assessment method [2]
339128
0
PPTs will be measured using a pressure algometer (Somedic, 1-cm2 probe). Subjects will be asked to push a button when the sensation changes from one of pressure to pain. The point at which pressure sensation first becomes pain will be used to determine pressure pain threshold. This value will be measured and recorded at baseline and following intervention.
Query!
Timepoint [2]
339128
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention (primary timepoint)
Query!
Secondary outcome [1]
438649
0
Function
Query!
Assessment method [1]
438649
0
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Query!
Timepoint [1]
438649
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [2]
438650
0
Corticomotor organisation
Query!
Assessment method [2]
438650
0
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) mapping
Query!
Timepoint [2]
438650
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [3]
438651
0
Left/right judgement
Query!
Assessment method [3]
438651
0
Left/right judgement task using the Recognise app (NOIgroup, Adelaide, Australia)
Query!
Timepoint [3]
438651
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [4]
438652
0
Two point discrimination (TPD)
Query!
Assessment method [4]
438652
0
With the participant lying in prone, the assessor will apply a mechanical calliper (CH71 Discriminator, Bailey Instruments Ltd.; precision of 1mm) to one side of the back until blanching of the skin. Two sets of ascending and descending runs will be performed (total four evaluations). For ascending runs, the distance between the calliper points will be increased from 0mm, stopping when participants first perceived two points and not one. For descending runs, the distance between calliper points will be decreased from 100mm, stopping when participants first perceived one point and not two. The average of the four assessments was utilised to determine the TPD threshold.
Query!
Timepoint [4]
438652
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [5]
438653
0
Tactile localisation
Query!
Assessment method [5]
438653
0
Using graph paper as a template (i.e., hole created in each intersection of gridlines) a 1 cm-spaced grid will be drawn on the participant’s lower back. The horizonal axis of the grid will be labelled from 0 to 12, as was the vertical axis. A photo will then be taken of the participant’s low back with the completed grid and numbering visible and provided to the participant to view on a digital tablet. A total of 10 trials will be performed, each consisting of the researcher touching a randomised grid point on the low back, with the participant given a five-second window to verbally identify the grid site (by referencing the photo) they perceived was touched. After each trial, the assessor will measure and record error which is defined as the Euclidean distance (millimetres) between the actual and the perceived stimulus coordinate. The average error across the 10 trials will be calculated.
Query!
Timepoint [5]
438653
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [6]
438654
0
Auditory localisation
Query!
Assessment method [6]
438654
0
Participants will stand in a relaxed position with their eyes closed and be asked to detect the location of an auditory ‘click’. The researcher will use a mechanical clicker to deliver 20 stimuli in a randomised order in one of four locations: in line with lumbar erector spinae muscles or lateral to the edge of the torso (~level of L4, clicker ~4cm away from the skin), either to the left or right of the participants’ body. Participants will be given 5 seconds to respond by pointing to the perceived location in space of the stimuli, and an interstimulus interval of 2 to 5 seconds. Responses will be recorded by the researcher and judged as correct if the participant identifies the correct side of the midline, regardless of the specific position of the stimuli. The outcome (accuracy) will be expressed as the percentage of correct responses over the total number of trials.
Query!
Timepoint [6]
438654
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [7]
438655
0
Peak alpha frequency (PAF)
Query!
Assessment method [7]
438655
0
Electroenchephalography (EEG)
Query!
Timepoint [7]
438655
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Secondary outcome [8]
438656
0
Adherence
Query!
Assessment method [8]
438656
0
ElectraRx platform, which records the number of sessions scheduled, completed and missed by each participant throughout the intervention period
Query!
Timepoint [8]
438656
0
Each day that tDCS is applied (baseline, day 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12 following treatment commencement)
Query!
Secondary outcome [9]
438657
0
Tolerability
Query!
Assessment method [9]
438657
0
Self-reported bespoke online questionnaire created by the researchers specifically for this study, with a question about sensations experienced during the session (e.g. itching, burning, headache, fatigue, sleepiness, skin redness, tingling, or pain) and a 5-point Likert scale for each reported sensation to rate severity
Query!
Timepoint [9]
438657
0
Each day that tDCS is applied (baseline, day 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12 following treatment commencement)
Query!
Secondary outcome [10]
438658
0
Safety
Query!
Assessment method [10]
438658
0
Safety will be assessed via the incidence of adverse events (e.g. headache, dizziness, nausea) assessed by self-report used a 5-point Likert scale
Query!
Timepoint [10]
438658
0
Each day that tDCS is applied (baseline, day 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12 following treatment commencement)
Query!
Secondary outcome [11]
438659
0
Spatial summation
Query!
Assessment method [11]
438659
0
Spatial summation will be evaluated using the same pressure algometer, but with different sized probes (0.5cm, 1cm, 2cm). The same methods as described above for the PPT will be followed, but performed separately for each probe size. A minimum interstimulus interval of 45s will be implemented. The three different probe sizes will be introduced in a random order. Three trials will be performed for each size, and the average of the three will be calculated.
Query!
Timepoint [11]
438659
0
Baseline, 1 week, 1, 2 and 3 months post-completion of intervention
Query!
Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Eligible participants must be 18 years of age or older and be currently experiencing acute LBP – defined as pain in the region between the 12th thoracic vertebra and the gluteal fold, present for at least 24 hours and no more than 3 months. Participants with referred pain beyond this region may be included provided there is no suspicion of radicular pain from neural tissue involvement. For participants with a history of LBP to be eligible, there must have been a period of at least one month pain-free prior to the current episode. As part of the screening process, numeric pain rating scale (NPRS) values will be recorded for all prospective participants and only those reporting a minimum average weekly pain intensity of 3/10 will be included.
Query!
Minimum age
18
Years
Query!
Query!
Maximum age
No limit
Query!
Query!
Sex
Both males and females
Query!
Can healthy volunteers participate?
No
Query!
Key exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded if they present with suspected nerve root involvement (e.g. dominant leg pain, positive neural tissue provocation tests and/or any two of altered strength, reflexes, or sensation for the same nerve root, assessed clinically); suspected major spine pathology (e.g. fracture, tumour, cauda equina syndrome); history of lumbar spinal surgery; other acute or chronic pain conditions; neurological disorders or other comorbidities affecting sensorimotor processes; other musculoskeletal impairments beyond the lower back; history of psychiatric disorders requiring pharmacological management (e.g. major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia) and/or contraindications to home-based tDCS (e.g. physical and/or cognitive inability to operate device safely and reliably, epilepsy, previous adverse reaction to NIBS, metallic/electrical implants at stimulation site). Participants will also be asked to provide a log of any drugs they take currently and within the month preceding the trial, including medication type, frequency and dosage. Participants will be excluded if they take any drugs thought to interfere with tDCS (e.g. benzodiasepines).
Query!
Study design
Purpose of the study
Treatment
Query!
Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
Query!
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Sealed opaque envelopes
Query!
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
An investigator with no involvement in assessment or intervention delivery will create a randomisation schedule using a random number generator. Allocation will be stratified according to pain duration (< 6 weeks, > 6 weeks).
Query!
Masking / blinding
Blinded (masking used)
Query!
Who is / are masked / blinded?
The people receiving the treatment/s
The people administering the treatment/s
The people assessing the outcomes
The people analysing the results/data
Query!
Query!
Query!
Query!
Intervention assignment
Parallel
Query!
Other design features
Query!
Phase
Not Applicable
Query!
Type of endpoint/s
Efficacy
Query!
Statistical methods / analysis
Information collected will be used for analysis purposes only, and will be reported as group data. No individual participant will be identified. Data will be entered into an excel spreadsheet, graphical representations will be constructed, and these data sets will be analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software (version 23; IBM Corp, Armonk, NY, USA), with all correlations using the R statistical package (version 2.15.3). Statistical significance will be set at p < 0.05.
Participants will be compared at baseline on all variables using independent T test to assess pre-intervention similarity and the effectiveness of the randomisation process. The effect of home-based tDCS on pain intensity and mechanical sensitivity (PPTs) will be analysed using mixed-model analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with factors “Group” (active versus sham) and “Time” (baseline, 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months). Mixed-model ANOVAs will also be used to examine the impact of home-based tDCS on function (ODI), corticomotor function (TMS maps), somatosensory processing (left/right judgement, tactile localisation, two point discrimination, auditory localisation) and EEG measures (PAF) with factors “Group” (active versus sham) and “Time” (baseline, 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months). Where appropriate, post-hoc analyses will be performed using Sidak-adjusted multiple comparison tests. Rates of chronic pain development, adverse effects, and adherence (completed sessions) will be compared descriptively. All analyses will be conducted in consultation with an experienced biostatistician.
Query!
Recruitment
Recruitment status
Not yet recruiting
Query!
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
4/12/2024
Query!
Actual
Query!
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
4/05/2026
Query!
Actual
Query!
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
10/08/2026
Query!
Actual
Query!
Sample size
Target
40
Query!
Accrual to date
Query!
Final
Query!
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
NSW
Query!
Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1]
317198
0
Commercial sector/Industry
Query!
Name [1]
317198
0
HCF Research Foundation
Query!
Address [1]
317198
0
Query!
Country [1]
317198
0
Australia
Query!
Primary sponsor type
Individual
Query!
Name
Dr Rocco Cavaleri - Western Sydney University
Query!
Address
Query!
Country
Australia
Query!
Secondary sponsor category [1]
319465
0
University
Query!
Name [1]
319465
0
Western Sydney University
Query!
Address [1]
319465
0
Query!
Country [1]
319465
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [1]
283141
0
Individual
Query!
Name [1]
283141
0
Dr Simon Summers
Query!
Address [1]
283141
0
Query!
Country [1]
283141
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [2]
283142
0
Individual
Query!
Name [2]
283142
0
Associate Professor Tasha Stanton
Query!
Address [2]
283142
0
Query!
Country [2]
283142
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [3]
283143
0
Individual
Query!
Name [3]
283143
0
Dr Daniel Thomson
Query!
Address [3]
283143
0
Query!
Country [3]
283143
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [4]
283144
0
Individual
Query!
Name [4]
283144
0
Ariane Suhood
Query!
Address [4]
283144
0
Query!
Country [4]
283144
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [5]
283175
0
Individual
Query!
Name [5]
283175
0
Dr Luke Jenkins
Query!
Address [5]
283175
0
Query!
Country [5]
283175
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [6]
283176
0
Individual
Query!
Name [6]
283176
0
Dr Amitabh Gupta
Query!
Address [6]
283176
0
Query!
Country [6]
283176
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [7]
283177
0
Individual
Query!
Name [7]
283177
0
Dr Ghufran Alhassani
Query!
Address [7]
283177
0
Query!
Country [7]
283177
0
Australia
Query!
Other collaborator category [8]
283180
0
Individual
Query!
Name [8]
283180
0
Prof James McAuley
Query!
Address [8]
283180
0
Query!
Country [8]
283180
0
Australia
Query!
Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Not yet submitted
Query!
Ethics committee name [1]
315937
0
University of Western Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee
Query!
Ethics committee address [1]
315937
0
https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/research/research_ethics_and_integrity/human_ethics/apply_for_human_research_ethics_review
Query!
Ethics committee country [1]
315937
0
Australia
Query!
Date submitted for ethics approval [1]
315937
0
14/10/2024
Query!
Approval date [1]
315937
0
Query!
Ethics approval number [1]
315937
0
Query!
Summary
Brief summary
This project aims to, for the first time, evaluate whether portable, home-based transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can expedite recovery in acute low back pain and prevent the transition to chronicity. Potential neurophysiological contributions will also be explored by assessing corticomotor organisation, somatosensory processing and electroencephalography measures. Given this is the first study to use home-based tDCS for acute low back pain, safety, adherence, and tolerability will also be examined. This may facilitate the development of an effective, inexpensive, and home-based means by which to manage low back pain, reducing the associated social, financial, and physical burden. We hypothesise that home-based tDCS will be a safe, effective, and well-tolerated means of expediting recovery of acute low back pain, with minimal or no adverse effects.
Query!
Trial website
Query!
Trial related presentations / publications
Query!
Public notes
Query!
Contacts
Principal investigator
Name
136274
0
Dr Rocco Cavaleri
Query!
Address
136274
0
Western Sydney University, School of Health Sciences, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751
Query!
Country
136274
0
Australia
Query!
Phone
136274
0
+61 2 4620 3994
Query!
Fax
136274
0
Query!
Email
136274
0
[email protected]
Query!
Contact person for public queries
Name
136275
0
Rocco Cavaleri
Query!
Address
136275
0
Western Sydney University, School of Health Sciences, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751
Query!
Country
136275
0
Australia
Query!
Phone
136275
0
+61 2 4620 3994
Query!
Fax
136275
0
Query!
Email
136275
0
[email protected]
Query!
Contact person for scientific queries
Name
136276
0
Rocco Cavaleri
Query!
Address
136276
0
Western Sydney University, School of Health Sciences, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751
Query!
Country
136276
0
Australia
Query!
Phone
136276
0
+61 2 4620 3994
Query!
Fax
136276
0
Query!
Email
136276
0
[email protected]
Query!
Data sharing statement
Will individual participant data (IPD) for this trial be available (including data dictionaries)?
Yes
Query!
What data in particular will be shared?
All individual participant data collected throughout the trial, after de-identification. This includes baseline participant characteristics and data relating to all outcome measures listed in Step 4: Outcomes.
Query!
When will data be available (start and end dates)?
Immediately following publication, up until 5 years following main results publication
Query!
Available to whom?
Available on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the lead investigator
Query!
Available for what types of analyses?
Grant applications and any future studies including systematic reviews
Query!
How or where can data be obtained?
Access subject to approvals by Principal Investigator (
[email protected]
)
Query!
What supporting documents are/will be available?
No Supporting Document Provided
Results publications and other study-related documents
Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.
Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.
Download to PDF