Exploring Treatments for Children's Abdominal Pain: Comparing Trimebutine and Probiotics

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Clinical Trial

— FAPD_RCT  

Official title:

Comparative Effect of Trimebutine and Probiotics on Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders (FAPD) in Children: Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT)

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT06268964
• Other study ID #: 2023-5
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• Start date: March 1, 2024
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2025

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: Universidad de Colima
• Contact: Pablo H Sandoval-Villaseñor, MD
• Phone: +523123007655
• Email: pablohernan_sandoval[@]ucol.mx
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of trimebutine and probiotics in treating Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders (FAPD) in a pediatric population. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is trimebutine effective in reducing the symptoms of FAPD in children? Are probiotics effective in reducing the symptoms of FAPD in children? Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups (trimebutine/probiotics, probiotics/placebo, or trimebutine/placebo). Undergo measurements for pain and other relevant metrics at the start of the study, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks.

Researchers will compare the trimebutine/probiotics group to the probiotics/placebo and the trimebutine/placebo groups to see if there are significant differences in the efficacy of these treatments in reducing symptoms of FAPD in children.

Description:

The protocol will be submitted for review by the Research Committee and the Ethics Committee of the Regional University Hospital of Colima. Upon receiving approval, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial will be carried out, based on CONSORT guidelines. This trial involves the participation of pediatric patients aged 4 to 18.

Patients will be selected from those attending private practice and satisfying Rome IV criteria for any of the Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders (FAPD). Before any intervention takes place, the purpose and procedures of the study will be explained to both the patients and their legal guardians. If they decide to participate, they will be asked to sign an informed consent letter and assent form for minors. Patients will be selected through stratified probabilistic sampling in 4 categories (Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional Dyspepsia, Abdominal Migraine, and Functional Abdominal Pain not otherwise specified (FAP-NOS)) until the desired sample size of 82 participants is reached. Once participants are selected, they will be randomly assigned to one of the three groups: trimebutine/probiotic, probiotic/placebo, or trimebutine/placebo, with each group consisting of at least 20 participants. The initial diagnosis will be carried out using the Rome IV Criteria Questionnaires for pediatric patients, and the intensity of pain will be evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and quality of life with PedsQL 4.0. Patients will be administered the treatment corresponding to their assigned group and will be clinically followed up at 4 and 8 weeks. During these follow-up consultations, the Rome IV Criteria Questionnaires and scales will be reapplied to assess the evolution of the patients' symptoms and their response to treatment. Any patient who requests voluntary withdrawal, those with treatment adherence less than 80%, and those participating in another study or being treated by another physician simultaneously will be removed from the study.

Statistical analysis will be carried out using international Business Machine (IBM®) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS®) Statistics 26. Descriptive statistics with measures of central tendency will be used, presenting the results in tables and graphs. To determine whether the data follow a normal distribution, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests will be applied. Measurements in 3 groups (trimebutine, probiotics, and control) and at 3 times (0, 4, and 8 weeks) will be analyzed. For intervening categorical variables like gender and education, the chi-square test (X2) will be used. For continuous variables like age and BMI, the Mann-Whitney U test will be applied, expecting statistically significant differences with p < 0.05.

If the data follow a normal distribution, repeated measures ANOVA will be used to compare the means of the 3 groups (trimebutine, probiotics, and placebo). McNemar's test or the sign test will be considered as secondary analyses to evaluate changes within each group over time (0, 4, and 8 weeks). If the data do not follow a normal distribution, non-parametric tests like the Friedman test will be employed.

In case of finding a statistically significant difference in repeated measures ANOVA or the Friedman test, post hoc tests will be performed to identify specific differences between groups and times. If necessary, correlation tests like Pearson or Spearman will be used to evaluate relationships between different variables within the study.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 82
• Est. completion date: June 30, 2025
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 4 Years to 18 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Pediatric patients from 4 to 18 years old.

• Meeting the Rome IV criteria for any of the Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders (Functional Dyspepsia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Abdominal Migraine or Functional Abdominal Pain Not Otherwise Specified)

• Having the informed consent signed by the parents or legal guardians of the minor.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients presenting abdominal pain of organic cause.

• Immunosuppressed patients.

• Patients with previous hypersensitivity to the study drug.

Elimination Criteria:

• Voluntary withdrawal from the study.

• Patients not adhering to treatment (less than 80%)

• Patients participating in another study simultaneously.

• Patients being treated by another doctor simultaneously.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Abdominal Pain
• Digestive System Diseases
• Functional Abdominal Pain Syndrome
• Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Gastrointestinal Diseases
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Syndrome

Intervention

Drug:
• Trimebutine
Prescription of trimebutine at pediatric dosage (15 mg/kg/day), divided into 2 daily doses, for 8 weeks.

Dietary Supplement:
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
Prescription of Lactobacillus rhamnosus 5 billion CFUs in chewable tablets, a single dose (night) for 8 weeks.

Other:
• Placebo
Prescription of a placebo, 250 mg microcrystalline cellulose tablets, a single dose (night) for 8 weeks.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Mexico	School of Medicine, University of Colima	Colima

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Universidad de Colima

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Mexico, 

References & Publications (32)

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* Note: There are 32 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Other	Number of Participants with Treatment-Related Adverse Events	Number and type of treatment-related adverse events reported during the study period, evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0.	Baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment.
Primary	Average Score on Visual Analog Scale for Abdominal Pain	Participants rated the highest intensity of abdominal pain they experienced during the past eight weeks on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable), using an Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scale. A decrease in the score signifies an improvement in symptoms.	Baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment.
Secondary	Improvement in Quality of Life with PedsQL 3.0	Impact of the treatment on the Quality of Life in pediatric patients with FAPD. The PedsQL 0 - 100 scoring system is used, where higher scores indicate better quality of life. The change in scores from baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment is measured.	Baseline to 8 weeks post-treatment.
Secondary	Improvement in Quality of Life with PedsQL 3.0	Impact of the treatment on the Quality of Life in pediatric patients with FAPD. The PedsQL 0 - 100 scoring system is used, where higher scores indicate better quality of life. The change in scores from baseline to 4 weeks post-treatment is measured.	Baseline to 4 weeks post-treatment.
Secondary	Average Score on Visual Analog Scale for Abdominal Pain	Participants rated the highest intensity of abdominal pain they experienced during the past eight weeks on a scale of 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst pain imaginable), using an Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scale. A decrease in the score signifies an improvement in symptoms.	Baseline to 4 weeks post-treatment.