Mechanistic Study of Personalized rTMS in Chronic Pain
Building on Previous Evidence: A Mechanistic Clinical Trial of Personalized rTMS for Chronic Pain
Aalborg University
90 participants
Mar 1, 2026
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Previous research has demonstrated that repetitive magnetic brain stimulation can be an effective adjunctive treatment for several conditions, including chronic pain. However, current stimulation protocols are typically standardized and do not account for individual variability in brain function. This uniform, one-size-fits-all approach results in only about 40% of patients experiencing meaningful clinical benefit, while the remainder show little to no improvement. To address this limitation, the present study will investigate how magnetic stimulation can be tailored to individuals with chronic pain. By analyzing each participant's brain signals prior to treatment, we aim to personalize stimulation parameters to better match individual neural characteristics and potentially enhance therapeutic outcomes. The design of this study builds directly on the findings of a previous clinical trial.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria3
- Presence of chronic pain (present most of the days for more than 3 months).
- Pain with a mean pain intensity between 3-9 on a 0-10 pain scale (where 0 means no pain and 10 means the worst pain imaginable).
- Speak and understand English or Danish
Exclusion Criteria7
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Current uncontrolled major depression as the main diagnosis
- Current history of substance abuse
- Lack of ability to cooperate, to fully understand the protocol or any difficulty in filling out questionnaires (e.g., due to language or cognitive problems)
- Formal contraindications to TMS application (presence of epilepsy, cranial implanted ferromagnetic devices, e.g., intracranial neurostimulator or cochlear implants, tattoos with metal ink on the face or permanent make up with metal in the face )
- Unable to answer the "Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Adult Safety Screen" screening questionnaire.
- Participation in other research protocols within 1 month before the inclusion.
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Interventions
The rTMS intervention consists of 10-Hz rTMS. Thirty trains of ten seconds with an interval of twenty seconds between trains will be delivered, as traditionally performed. Each train includes 100 pulses, and the total number of pulses will be 3,000 given in 15 minutes.
The rTMS intervention consists of 10-Hz rTMS. Thirty trains of ten seconds will be delivered with an interval of twenty seconds between trains. Each train includes 100 pulses, and the total number of pulses will be 3,000 given in 15 minutes. The rTMS will be delivered to the optimal target
Locations(1)
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NCT07266103