Efficacy of tDCS and EEG Neurofeedback, individually and combined, on Neuropathic Pain following spinal cord injury: Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial

Efficacy of tDCS and EEG Neurofeedback, individually and combined, on Neuropathic Pain following spinal cord injury: Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Efficacy of tDCS and EEG Neurofeedback, individually and combined, on Neuropathic Pain following spinal cord injury: Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial Nahian Chowdhury, Negin Hesam-Shariati, Yann Quide, Pauline Zahara, and 12 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9142924/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Study Design: Randomised controlled trial (RCT) Protocol Objectives: Neuropathic pain (NP) affects approximately 60% of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Existing pharmacological treatments provide modest relief and are often limited by adverse effects, while non-pharmacological options show small effects at best. Thus, there remains a need for accessible, mechanism-informed treatments for SCI-NP. This protocol describes an RCT evaluating the efficacy of two promising home-based neuromodulatory interventions for SCI-NP - electroencephalography neurofeedback (EEG-NF) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) - tested both independently and in combination. Setting: Australia-wide Methods: A partially double-blinded (i.e. 1 treatment blinded, the other not), 2×2 factorial RCT will be implemented. Adults with SCI-NP (N=192) will be randomised to one of four groups: EEG-NF + active tDCS, EEG-NF + sham tDCS, active tDCS, or sham tDCS. Participants will complete 20 home-based sessions over 5 weeks. The primary outcome is pain severity at 6 weeks post-randomisation. Secondary outcomes include pain severity at 16, 26 and 52 weeks, and worst pain intensity, pain interference, sleep disturbance, depressive symptoms, and health-related quality of life at 6, 16, 26 and 52 weeks post-randomisation. Results: The trial has been prospectively registered and approved by the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee. Conclusion: This trial will provide the first large-scale evaluation of home-based EEG-NF and tDCS, delivered individually and in combination, for SCI-NP. If effective, these scalable interventions may support integration of home-based neuromodulation into routine care for this population. Funding: Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Clinical Trials Activity Biological sciences/Physiology/Neurophysiology Biological sciences/Neuroscience/Sensorimotor processing Full Text Additional Declarations There is no duality of interest Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Review # 1 received at journal 22 Apr, 2026 Reviewer # 2 agreed at journal 13 Apr, 2026 Reviewer # 1 agreed at journal 07 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 23 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 23 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 21 Mar, 2026 Unknown event 20 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9142924","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":617855327,"identity":"986ccff4-5590-4583-aee7-124225ce15e8","order_by":0,"name":"Nahian 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