Spatiotemporal Thalamocortical Alterations Underlie Experimental and Chronic Pain
Spatiotemporal Thalamocortical Alterations Underlie Experimental and Chronic Pain - Phase II
Who can join
Ages 18 to 60 · All sexes · Healthy volunteers welcome
Full eligibility criteria
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)
About the study
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)
What is being tested
- transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) (device)
- Sham (device)
- transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) (device)
Sponsor: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston · Participants: 60 · Started: Jun 1, 2025
Contact the study team
- Wen Li, PhD · Phone: (713) 486-2700
- Jada Malveaux · Phone: (713) 486-2700
Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT06968689
Locations in the U.S.
| Texas | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston |
Conditions
From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.