Pain Control Using Neuromodulation in Patients Undergoing Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

Cancer of Head and Neck Clinical Trial

Official title: Pain Control Using Neuromodulation in Patients Undergoing Definitive Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) can reduce pain perception associated with the effects of receiving definitive radiation therapy or chemoradiotherapy in head and neck cancer (HNCa) patients.

Clinical Trial Description

The goal of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of tDCS as a novel pain relief modality for odynophagia due to mucositis in patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer undergoing definitive radiation therapy or chemoradiotherapy. Participants will be randomized into one of two arms: (1) Treatment: radiation/chemoradiotherapy standard of care + tDCS neuromodulation or (2) Control: radiation/chemoradiotherapy standard of care only.

Patients in the treatment arm will undergo tDCS stimulation on the day of their radiation/chemoradiotherapy appointments, prior to receiving treatment when doing tDCS session in clinic or after to receiving treatment when doing tDCS session at home. This will occur daily (5 days per week) during the second and third weeks of therapy, three times per week during the fourth and fifth weeks, and twice per week during the sixth and seventh weeks.

Patients will also have EEG and fNIRS recordings during the study. This will occur at the pre-study visit, the first stimulation appointment, the third week, the 7th week, and during the follow-up appointments (one-week and one-month). ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cancer of Head and Neck
• Head and Neck Neoplasms

• NCT number: NCT02366611
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Michigan
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: November 2014
• Completion date: November 2019