Brain stimulation without surgery for pain in people with fibromyalgia
Tests gentle brain stimulation on pain and quality of life in fibromyalgia.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- Pulkit Grover
- Where
- Pittsburgh, United StatesSee the 2 sites
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Feasibility and Effects of Noninvasive Brain Stimulation on Pain Perception in People With Fibromyalgia
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 50 people, planned
- Started
- 9 Sept 2026
- Expected to end
- May 2028
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groups
- Treatments tested
- Primary Motor Cortex Stimulation
- Occipital Lobe Stimulation
- Record updated
- 21 October 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults with fibromyalgia whose long-lasting pain has not improved with usual pain medicines. Participants get daily noninvasive brain stimulation sessions over 4 weeks.
- Age
- 18 Years to 65 Years
- Sex
- All sexes can join.
- Disease stage
- Fibromyalgia diagnosed by a practicing doctor. Pain for more than 3 months, on average at least 4 on a 0 to 10 pain scale.
- Earlier treatment
- Pain must not have improved with common pain medicines and medicines for chronic pain.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Not able to walk, or pregnant
- Past brain surgery or uncontrolled nerve conditions such as seizures, fainting spells or mini-strokes
- Severe uncontrolled mood disorders, psychotic disorders or other nerve disorders at any time in life
- Any implanted electronic or metal device
- Heart disease including irregular heartbeat, severe liver or gut disease, or chronic severe infection such as HIV/AIDS
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 10 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- Formal diagnosis of fibromyalgia made by a practicing physician
- Pain resistant to common analgesics and medications for chronic pain
- Existing pain for more than 3 months with an average of at least 4 on a 0 to 10 Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)
- Females of child bearing potential must be at least one of the following totally abstinent from heterosexual intercourse since the last menses before start of study, or agree to concurrent use of at least two methods of birth control throughout study participation
Who cannot take part
- Subject must not have a history of brain surgery or uncontrolled neurological conditions, such as seizure, fainting spells, transient ischemic attack
- Subject must not have lifetime history of severe, uncontrolled mood disorders (anxiety, depression, bipolar), psychotic disorders, other neural disorders, or heart disease
- Subject must not have heart diseases, including known arrhythmia, or severe liver or severe gastrointestinal disease or chronic severe infectious disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS)
- If the subject is non-ambulatory
- If the subject is female of child-bearing potential, subject must not be pregnant
- Subject must not have any implanted electronic or metallic devices
Check if you might fit
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Where in United States
- Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, United StatesContact: Pulkit Grover, PhDNot yet recruiting
- UPMC Pain ManagementPittsburgh, United StatesContact: Benedict J Alter, MD, PhDTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
The goal of this interventional study is to learn whether noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) will have an effect on pain perception in people with fibromyalgia. The main questions it aims to answer are:
Read full original descriptionShow less
Do repeated sessions of NIBS lead to a reduction in perceived pain? Do repeated sessions of NIBS lead to an improvement in quality of life?
Researchers will compare different brain targets to see if effects are different between them.
Participants will receive repeated daily sessions of NIBS over 4 weeks with application of pressure pain algometry, and complete various questionnaires.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Primary Motor Cortex Stimulation, then Occipital Lobe StimulationTreatment being tested
The primary motor cortex will be targeted first, then the occipital lobe.
Treatment: Primary Motor Cortex Stimulation and Occipital Lobe Stimulation
- Occipital Lobe Stimulation, then Primary Motor Cortex StimulationTreatment being tested
The occipital lobe will be targeted first, then the primary motor cortex.
Treatment: Primary Motor Cortex Stimulation and Occipital Lobe Stimulation
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Transcranial Electrical Stimulation for Noninvasive Study of Pain Circuits in Patients With Chronic Pain
- Plain-language title
- Brain stimulation without surgery for pain in people with fibromyalgiaGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 14 November 2026.
- Fit questions
- Built from NCT07644221, who can take part
- Record updated
- 21 October 2026