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Motor System Activation With Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Physical Exercise to Reduce Pain in Elderly

Chronic Pain

Physical exercises are known to reduce chronic pain in elderly individuals by activating the motor system. However, it seems that exercises are not effective for everyone. The investigators believe that elderly individuals with altered corticospinal tract will be those in whom the exercise alone are not sufficient to relieve pain. For those patients, adding an exogenous stimulation of the motor system such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) would facilitate the corticospinal tract, and consequently, would help exercises to relieve chronic pain. The investigators hypothesize that combining tDCS with the exercises will be more effective than exercises alone, but only in individuals who initially show low corticospinal projections.

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Participation Requirements

  • Sex:

    ALL

  • Eligible Ages:

    60 and up

Participation Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* To have musculoskeletal chronic pain
* Not to change medication and life habits during the study

Exclusion Criteria:

* People physically active before the study (more then 150 min of moderate to vigorous exercise par week)
* To have an uncontrolled cardiovascular disease
* To have orthopedic limitation or contraindication to physical exercise
* To have contraindication to tDCS
* To have contraindication to TMS
* To have contraindication to MRI

Study Location

Research Centre on Aging
Research Centre on Aging
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Guillaume Léonard, pht, PhD

[email protected]
1 819-780-2220
Grace Village
Grace Village
Sherbrooke, Quebec
Canada

Contact Study Team

Primary Contact

Guillaume Léonard, pht, PhD

Study Sponsored By
Université de Sherbrooke
Participants Required
More Information
Study ID: NCT04332939