Noninvasive Brain Stimulation for Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Eligibility Criteria

• 1. Able to provide informed consent to participate in the study
• 2. Subjects between 18 to 80 years old
• 3. Having symptomatic CTS spreading within or beyond the median nerve distribution (demonstrating 'extra-median spread'), involving at least 1 wrist, with chronic pain as defined by International Association for the Study of Pain (existing pain for at least 6 months and having pain on at least half the days in the past 6 months with an average of at least a 3 on a 0-10 VAS scale).
• 4. Pain resistant to first line therapies of chronic pain (pain still present at lower levels most of the time following therapy)
• 5. Must have the ability to feel pain as self-reported.
• 1. Subject is pregnant
• 2. Contraindications to tDCS+TUS:
• 1. intracranial metal implant
• 2. implanted brain medical devices
• 3. History of alcohol or drug abuse within the past 6 months as self-reported
• 4. Use of carbamazepine within the past 6 months as self-reported
• 5. Suffering from major depression (with a PHQ-9 score of ≥20)
• 6. History of neurological disorders involving stroke, brain tumors, or epilepsy with residual neurological symptoms as self-reported (note patients will also be evaluated via EEG at baseline about 1 week prior to stimulation and any patient showing abnormal EEG activity will be removed))
• 7. History of unexplained fainting spells as self-reported
• 8. History of head injury resulting in more than a momentary loss of consciousness as self-reported and with current neurological deficits
• 9. History of intracranial neurosurgery as self-reported