Taking peopleNo phase

The Effect of Different rTMS Interventions on Acute Experimental Muscular Pain in Individuals Comorbid With Insomnia

Key facts

Who runs it: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Where: Hong Kong1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code: NCT07827677
Status: Recruiting
People taking part: 30 people, planned
Started: 31 Aug 2026
Expected to end: 31 Aug 2027
Type of study: Interventional, 3 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on L M1
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on R DLPFC
Sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
Record updated: 18 September 2026

Who can take part

Age: 18 years to 60 years
Sex: Women and men
Healthy volunteers: Can take part

The registry criteria, word for word

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Who can take part

Adults aged 18 to 60 years
Right hand and foot dominant

Who cannot take part

Previous major injuries or surgery involving the lower limbs
History of any chronic musculoskeletal pain or presence of existing pain during recruitment
Sleep disorders other than insomnia
Clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders
Conditions that preclude safe rTMS or pain testing (e.g., severe head trauma, intracranial hypertension, implanted ferromagnetic devices, history of epilepsy, skin conditions at stimulation sites)
Contraindications to vigorous exercise identified through the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q)
Work night shifts or rotating shift schedules
Pregnant

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 60 years old?

This trial has no sites in United States.

It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Insomnia exacerbates pain sensitivity and impairs physiological recovery from acute musculoskeletal pain. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive neuromodulation intervention to alleviate pain and modulate central sensory processing. However, whether rTMS can effectively mitigate insomnia-induced pain hyperalgesia and accelerate the recovery trajectory of acute musculoskeletal pain remains unclear, as does the optimal neuroanatomical stimulation target.

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Building upon an established experimental pain model, this randomized, sham-controlled study aims to evaluate the restorative effects of three distinct rTMS interventions - targeting the left primary motor cortex (L M1), the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R DLPFC), and a sham condition - on individuals experiencing insomnia. Following a standardized eccentric exercise protocol to induce muscle soreness, participants will receive three sessions of the allocated rTMS intervention at 0, 24, and 48 hours post-exercise. Pain sensitivity, recovery dynamics, and quantitative sensory testing (QST) metrics will be continuously monitored across the recovery timeframe.

The findings from this trial will clarify the therapeutic efficacy of rTMS in modulating acute pain under insomnia states and identify the target-specific mechanisms of cortical stimulation, offering evidence-based non-invasive interventions for musculoskeletal pain management.

The 3 groups in the trial

R DLPFCTreatment being tested
rTMS interventions targeting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (R DLPFC)
Treatment: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on R DLPFC
L M1Existing treatment, for comparison
rTMS interventions targeting the left primary motor cortex (L M1)
Treatment: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on L M1
ShamSham treatment, for comparison
sham rTMS stimulation
Treatment: Sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)