Analysis of Cortical Excitability in Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

Analysis of Cortical Excitability in Neuropathic Pain: an Electrophysiology Study.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00789347
• Other study ID #: 200806061R
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• First received: November 10, 2008
• Last updated: April 1, 2010
• Start date: October 2008
• Est. completion date: October 2011

Study information

• Verified date: March 2010
• Source: National Taiwan University Hospital
• Contact: Ming-Kai Pan, M.D.
• Phone: 886-2-23123456
• Email: emorypan[@]gmail.com
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Taiwan: Department of Health
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether patients with neuropathic pain has abnormal excitability in somatosensory cortex and abnormal sensory-motor connections.

Description:

There are several brain areas responsible for neuropathic pain reported in functional image studies, including primary sensory cortex, insula, and anterior cingulate gyrus. However, it is few informations about the functional status of these areas. Besides, the reason of the individual variability about the developement of neuropathic pain remains unknown. It is lack of satisfactory explanation about why some people developed neuropathic pain in certain diseased situation (for example, type 2 diabetes), while others do not.

We hypothesis that patients with neuropathic pain has abnormal cortical excitability and plasticity in certain brain area. Therefore developed neuropathic pain certain diseased condition while others not. Therefore, we will use multimodal electrophysiology tools,such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, and contact heat evoke potential to monitor the cortical excitability and plasticity non-invasively.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 80
• Est. completion date: October 2011
• Est. primary completion date: October 2011
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 20 Years to 65 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy volunteers

• patients with pain resulted from dysfunction of peripheral or central nervous system

• the disorders of peripheral nerves are diagnosed by nerve conduction study, quantitative sensory test, quantification of skin innervation or contact heat evoked potentials

• lesion of central nervous system should be confirmed by neuroimage.

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous history of epilepsy, seizure disorders or major head injury

• previous brain surgery or intracranial metalic implant

• implanted devices as cardiac pacemaker

• pregnant subjects

• patient with severe cardiac or pulmonary disease who potentially cannot tolerate stress

Study Design

Observational Model: Case Control, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cortical Excitability
• Neuralgia
• Neuropathic Pain

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Taiwan	National Taiwan University Hospital	Taipei

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
National Taiwan University Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Taiwan, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Abnormal cortical excitability in motor-sensory cross-talk		non-applicable	No
Secondary	Genetic variability of neurotrophic factors between groups		non-applicable	No