NCT07888673Completed
Transcraneal Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment of Non-nociceptive Pain in Chronic Diseases
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Pain Associated With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Primary Fibromyalgia, Long COVID and Post-vaccination Syndromes, Post-stroke Pain, and Non-nociceptive Pain
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 22 Oct 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Background: Chronic non-nociceptive or nociplastic pain and neurological sequelae following stroke are associated with substantial functional impairment and reduced quality of life. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique capable of modulating cortical excitability and functional brain networks involved in pain processing and neurological recovery. However, its clinical response may vary according to the underlying phenotype and therapeutic target. Objective: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and clinical response to rTMS as a complementary therapeutic intervention in patients with chronic non-nociceptive pain, fibromyalgia, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), Long COVID, and post-stroke sequelae, and to explore differences in treatment response across clinical conditions. Methods: A clinical study including baseline assessment, rTMS intervention, post-treatment evaluation, and follow-up was conducted. The protocol consisted of ten treatment sessions administered over two consecutive weeks. For chronic pain, fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, and Long COVID, excitatory stimulation at 10 Hz was delivered over the left primary motor cortex (M1), with 1,000 pulses per session. For post-stroke sequelae, inhibitory stimulation at 1 Hz with 600 pulses was applied according to the predominant clinical deficit. Target localization was performed using neuronavigation when individual magnetic resonance imaging was available and the international 10-20 system when it was not. Clinical outcomes included pain, fatigue, sleep, quality of life, motor function, and language performance, assessed using validated clinical scales.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 47 (actual)
- First submitted
- 29 Aug 2026
- Start date
- 1 Oct 2025
- Primary completion date
- 2 May 2026
- Lead sponsor
- Hospital Donostia
- Diseases
- Stroke, Long COVID and ME/CFS
- NCT number
- NCT07888673
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Participants enrolled: 47
- From 1 Oct 2025 to the primary completion date, 2 May 2026
- 2 sites in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Implanted deep brain stimulators or other intracranial implants.
- Tinnitus, pregnancy, claustrophobia, current or previous treatment with electroconvulsive therapy or vagus nerve stimulation are not eligible.
- Patients taking anti-epileptic medication including will be also excluded as well as, patients under legal guardianship with reservation of consent.
Other illness
- History of seizures (epilepsy)
- Cardiac pacemaker or defibrilator
- Other serious physical illness and other psychiatric comorbidities beside major depression and borderline personality disorder.
Other
- Metallic (foreign or implanted) objects in the skull or soft cranial tissues.
- Pronounced tattoos in the region of the head.
- Moreover, patients with acute suicidality (MADRS score \> 4 for question 10)
Who the study is looking for
- Both sexes individuals aged 18 to 75 years diagnosed of these conditions according to scheduled diagnostic and inclusion criteria.
- Diagnosis of ME will be made according to 2016 Fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria (see Supplementary Appendix B, Supplemental Digital Content
- 1, https://links.lww.com/PHM/B78 ).
- Patients with ME should have an score of 4/10 or greater in visual analog scale-pain and under stable treatment (any kind of treatment including pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, interventional pain treatments) for at least last 3 months.
- Hemi paresis due to stroke, with diagnostic criteria for cerebral infarction and cerebral haemorrhage, confirmed by cranial CT or MRI affecting unilateral cerebral hemisphere;
- Stable vital signs, clear consciousness, and willingness to cooperate.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 75 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (2)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Balearic Islands Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Palma | Spain | Unknown status |
| Hospital Universitario de Donostia Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | San Sebastián | Spain | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.