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Knee Arthroplasty Recovery With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Sponsor: Women's College Hospital
Summary
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is widely performed to reduce pain from advanced osteoarthritis, yet many patients experience severe postoperative pain and up to 25-44% develop chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulation technique, has shown promise in reducing pain and opioid use in early studies but has not been evaluated using comprehensive perioperative, home-based protocols. This study will test whether a home-based tDCS intervention delivered before and after TKA can improve acute pain management and reduce the development of CPSP.
Official title: Knee Arthroplasty Recovery With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
70
Start Date
2026-05
Completion Date
2027-12
Last Updated
2026-01-20
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Active tDCS Stimulation
Participants will have electrodes positioned on their scalp at C3, C4 (primary motor cortices) and Oz (occipital cortex) according to the international 10-20 EEG system. They will receive active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the primary motor cortex (M1) opposite the surgical site, with the Oz electrode serving as the return. Stimulation will be delivered at 2 mA for 20 minutes, including a 15-second ramp-up at the start and a 15-second ramp-down at the end. The PlatoWork 2.0 tDCS Neurostimulator headset will be used to administer the stimulation.
Sham tDCS Stimulation
Participants will receive sham (inactive) transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) using the PlatoWork 2.0 tDCS Neurostimulator headset at home. The headset is identical to the active device but does not deliver electrical stimulation. This allows for blinding of participants to the intervention condition while maintaining the same study procedures and device usage as the active tDCS group.
Locations (1)
Toronto Western Hospital (UHN)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada