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Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

NCT number NCT01869907
Other study ID # EMON
Secondary ID
Status Completed
Phase Phase 4
First received May 27, 2013
Last updated January 24, 2015
Start date September 2011
Est. completion date August 2014

Study information

Verified date January 2015
Source Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg
Contact n/a
Is FDA regulated No
Health authority Belgium: Ethics Committee
Study type Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if minocycline is effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The effect of minocycline will be compared to the effect of placebo and amitriptyline.


Description:

Neuropathic pain is pain caused by damage to the central or peripheral nervous system. To date, therapy consists of tricyclic antidepressants (such as amitriptyline) or anticonvulsants. However, results are disappointing. Minocycline, a FDA-approved second generation tetracycline, was efficacious in various animal models of neuropathic pain. We want to study the effect of minocycline in neuropathic pain in humans. The type of neuropathic pain we want to investigate is lumbar radicular pain since this is the most prevalent condition associated with neuropathic pain in humans.

This placebo-controlled randomized double blind trial consists of 3 arms:

1. Placebo, once daily by mouth during 14 days.

2. Amitriptyline 25mg, once daily by mouth during 14 days.

3. Minocycline 100mg, once daily by mouth during 14 days.

Patients can take rescue medication if necessary: tramadol 50mg by mouths up to 3-times daily.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is implicated in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain in different animal models of neuropathic pain. To study the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in neuropathic pain in humans, we will determine its concentration in serum and plasma before and after 14 days medication intake.


Recruitment information / eligibility

Status Completed
Enrollment 60
Est. completion date August 2014
Est. primary completion date August 2014
Accepts healthy volunteers No
Gender Both
Age group 18 Years to 80 Years
Eligibility Inclusion Criteria:

Lumbar radicular pain due to disc herniation, failed back surgery syndrome or spinal canal stenosis causing neuropathic pain

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Diabetic, alcoholic or drug induced polyneuropathies

2. Depression or psychiatric comorbidity affecting pain sensation.

3. Use of antidepressants

4. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

5. Pregnancy.

6. Previous spinal cord damage

7. Malignancies

8. Allergy to minocycline or amitriptyline

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment


Related Conditions & MeSH terms

  • Neuralgia
  • Neuropathic Pain Caused by Lumbar Radicular Pain

Intervention

Drug:
Minocycline
100 mg once daily by mouth during 14 days
placebo
once daily by mouth during 14 days
Amitriptyline
25mg once daily by mouth during 14 days

Locations

Country Name City State
Belgium Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg Genk Limburg

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor Collaborator
Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Belgium, 

References & Publications (4)

Bastos LF, de Oliveira AC, Watkins LR, Moraes MF, Coelho MM. Tetracyclines and pain. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2012 Mar;385(3):225-41. doi: 10.1007/s00210-012-0727-1. Epub 2012 Jan 27. Review. — View Citation

Sumracki NM, Hutchinson MR, Gentgall M, Briggs N, Williams DB, Rolan P. The effects of pregabalin and the glial attenuator minocycline on the response to intradermal capsaicin in patients with unilateral sciatica. PLoS One. 2012;7(6):e38525. doi: 10.1371/ — View Citation

Vanelderen P, Rouwette T, Kozicz T, Heylen R, Van Zundert J, Roubos EW, Vissers K. Effects of chronic administration of amitriptyline, gabapentin and minocycline on spinal brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and neuropathic pain behavior in a rat — View Citation

Zhang Q, Peng L, Zhang D. Minocycline may attenuate postherpetic neuralgia. Med Hypotheses. 2009 Nov;73(5):744-5. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.04.028. Epub 2009 May 24. — View Citation

Outcome

Type Measure Description Time frame Safety issue
Other Concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in serum and plasma A blood sample (10ml) will be taken at baseline and after 14 days medication intake. The concentration of brain derived neurotrophic factor will be determined by high sensitivity ELISA (R&D systems® Europe, United Kingdom; detection range: 20-4,000 pg/ml) and the change in BDNF-concentration in serum and plasma between baseline and day 14 will be evaluated. Baseline (before start of study) and after 14 days of medication intake. No
Primary Pain intensity Pain intensity will be measured using a visual analogue scale and the change in pain intensity between baseline and day 7, day 7 and day 14, baseline and day 14 will be evaluated Baseline (before start of study), 7 and 14 days after start of medication intake No
Secondary neuropathic pain diagnostic questionnaire (DN4) score The DN4 questionnaire is used to assess the neuropathic symptoms of the pain and the change in DN4 score between baseline and day 7, day 7 and day 14, baseline and day 14 will be evaluated Baseline (before start of study), 7 and 14 days after medication intake No
Secondary Amount of rescue medication taken Rescue medication consists of tramadol 50mg by mouth 3-times daily if necessary. Patients will be provided with a total of 42 tablets of tramadol 50mg for the duration of the study. The remaining rescue medication will be counted on day 7 and day 14 and the change in rescue medication intake between baseline and day 7, day 7 and day 14, baseline and day 14 will be evaluated 7 and 14 days after medication intake No