fMRI and IVCM Cornea Microscopy of CXL in Keratoconus

Pain, Postoperative Clinical Trial

Official title:

Neuroplasticity of Pain Pathways and Corneal Afferent Regeneration Following Corneal Crosslinking (CXL) in Keratoconus

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04439552
• Other study ID #: IRB-P00035185
• Status: Recruiting
• Start date: October 4, 2021
• Est. completion date: December 2025

Study information

• Verified date: February 2024
• Source: Boston Children's Hospital
• Contact: Eric A Moulton, OD PhD
• Phone: 617-919-6827
• Email: eric.moulton[@]childrens.harvard.edu
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial Summary

Evaluation of neuroplasticity of pain pathways and corneal afferent nerve regeneration following corneal crosslinking (CXL) in keratoconus patients using fMRI and corneal In Vivo Confocal Microscopy (IVCM).

Description:

Our long-term goal is to evaluate the transition from acute to chronic pain that sometimes occurs following CXL in keratoconus patients. This study will determine whether these changes can be structurally and functionally quantified using functional neuroimaging and in vivo corneal microscopy (IVCM), and whether they can be predicted based on predisposing biological and psychological factors. Our central hypothesis is that CXL produces acute pain through activation of trigeminal afferents, and that post-operative chronic pain outcomes are related to neuroplastic changes in trigeminal circuitry, corneal afferent regeneration, and psychological factors.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 60
• Est. completion date: December 2025
• Est. primary completion date: August 2025
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 8 Years to 35 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

CXL Group

• Age 8-35 years

• Clinical diagnosis of keratoconus and seeking CXL treatment

• English speaking ability sufficient to comprehend consent with parental assistance

• MRI compatible

• Ability to lie still for an MRI session (60 minutes)

Control Group

• Age 8-35 years

• No diagnosis of keratoconus

• English speaking ability sufficient to comprehend consent with parental assistance

• MRI compatible

• Ability to lie still for an MRI session (60 minutes)

Exclusion Criteria (Both Groups):

• Claustrophobic

• Weight > 285 lbs (weight limit of the MRI table)

• Significant medical history, including:

Current DSM-IV-TR axis I psychiatric disorders. Chronic pain Significant head injury Seizures Brain tumor Cerebrovascular accident Neurological disease aside from migraine HIV-AIDs Prescription medication strongly implicated in causing dry eyes

• Magnetic implants or metal-containing tattoos on their chest or above

• Pregnancy

• History of contact lens wear

• Any allergic response to a numbing eyedrop in the past

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chronic Pain
• Cornea
• Cornea Injury
• Corneal Diseases
• Corneal Injuries
• Intraoperative Complications
• Keratoconus
• Pain, Acute
• Pain, Chronic
• Pain, Postoperative
• Surgical Injury
• Surgical Wound
• Wounds and Injuries

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Boston Children's Hospital	Boston	Massachusetts

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Boston Children's Hospital

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (21)

Belmonte C, Acosta MC, Merayo-Lloves J, Gallar J. What Causes Eye Pain? Curr Ophthalmol Rep. 2015;3(2):111-121. doi: 10.1007/s40135-015-0073-9. — View Citation

Borsook D, Youssef AM, Simons L, Elman I, Eccleston C. When pain gets stuck: the evolution of pain chronification and treatment resistance. Pain. 2018 Dec;159(12):2421-2436. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001401. — View Citation

Cruzat A, Qazi Y, Hamrah P. In Vivo Confocal Microscopy of Corneal Nerves in Health and Disease. Ocul Surf. 2017 Jan;15(1):15-47. doi: 10.1016/j.jtos.2016.09.004. Epub 2016 Oct 19. — View Citation

Dieckmann G, Borsook D, Moulton E. Neuropathic corneal pain and dry eye: a continuum of nociception. Br J Ophthalmol. 2022 Aug;106(8):1039-1043. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-318469. Epub 2021 Apr 30. — View Citation

Downie LE, Naranjo Golborne C, Chen M, Ho N, Hoac C, Liyanapathirana D, Luo C, Wu RB, Chinnery HR. Recovery of the sub-basal nerve plexus and superficial nerve terminals after corneal epithelial injury in mice. Exp Eye Res. 2018 Jun;171:92-100. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2018.03.012. Epub 2018 Mar 14. — View Citation

Ghanem VC, Ghanem RC, de Oliveira R. Postoperative pain after corneal collagen cross-linking. Cornea. 2013 Jan;32(1):20-4. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0b013e31824d6fe3. — View Citation

Hasenbring MI, Chehadi O, Titze C, Kreddig N. Fear and anxiety in the transition from acute to chronic pain: there is evidence for endurance besides avoidance. Pain Manag. 2014;4(5):363-74. doi: 10.2217/pmt.14.36. — View Citation

Hruschak V, Cochran G. Psychosocial predictors in the transition from acute to chronic pain: a systematic review. Psychol Health Med. 2018 Dec;23(10):1151-1167. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2018.1446097. Epub 2018 Feb 28. — View Citation

Kehlet H, Jensen TS, Woolf CJ. Persistent postsurgical pain: risk factors and prevention. Lancet. 2006 May 13;367(9522):1618-25. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68700-X. — View Citation

Kennedy RH, Bourne WM, Dyer JA. A 48-year clinical and epidemiologic study of keratoconus. Am J Ophthalmol. 1986 Mar 15;101(3):267-73. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(86)90817-2. — View Citation

Kinard KI, Smith AG, Singleton JR, Lessard MK, Katz BJ, Warner JE, Crum AV, Mifflin MD, Brennan KC, Digre KB. Chronic migraine is associated with reduced corneal nerve fiber density and symptoms of dry eye. Headache. 2015 Apr;55(4):543-9. doi: 10.1111/head.12547. Epub 2015 Mar 31. — View Citation

Larbig W, Andoh J, Huse E, Stahl-Corino D, Montoya P, Seltzer Z, Flor H. Pre- and postoperative predictors of phantom limb pain. Neurosci Lett. 2019 May 29;702:44-50. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.11.044. Epub 2018 Nov 29. — View Citation

Moulton EA, Becerra L, Borsook D. An fMRI case report of photophobia: activation of the trigeminal nociceptive pathway. Pain. 2009 Oct;145(3):358-363. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2009.07.018. Epub 2009 Aug 11. — View Citation

Moulton EA, Borsook D. C-Fiber Assays in the Cornea vs. Skin. Brain Sci. 2019 Nov 12;9(11):320. doi: 10.3390/brainsci9110320. — View Citation

Pondelis NJ, Moulton EA. Supraspinal Mechanisms Underlying Ocular Pain. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Feb 8;8:768649. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.768649. eCollection 2021. — View Citation

Rosenthal P, Borsook D, Moulton EA. Oculofacial Pain: Corneal Nerve Damage Leading to Pain Beyond the Eye. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2016 Oct 1;57(13):5285-5287. doi: 10.1167/iovs.16-20557. — View Citation

Schiffman RM, Christianson MD, Jacobsen G, Hirsch JD, Reis BL. Reliability and validity of the Ocular Surface Disease Index. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000 May;118(5):615-21. doi: 10.1001/archopht.118.5.615. — View Citation

Simone DA, Nolano M, Johnson T, Wendelschafer-Crabb G, Kennedy WR. Intradermal injection of capsaicin in humans produces degeneration and subsequent reinnervation of epidermal nerve fibers: correlation with sensory function. J Neurosci. 1998 Nov 1;18(21):8947-59. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.18-21-08947.1998. — View Citation

Sjoberg J, Kanje M. The initial period of peripheral nerve regeneration and the importance of the local environment for the conditioning lesion effect. Brain Res. 1990 Oct 8;529(1-2):79-84. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(90)90812-p. — View Citation

Tervo K, Latvala TM, Tervo TM. Recovery of corneal innervation following photorefractive keratoablation. Arch Ophthalmol. 1994 Nov;112(11):1466-70. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1994.01090230080025. — View Citation

van der Valk Bouman ES, Pump H, Borsook D, Severinsky B, Wisse RP, Saeed HN, Moulton EA. Pain mechanisms and management in corneal cross-linking: a review. BMJ Open Ophthalmol. 2021 Nov 29;6(1):e000878. doi: 10.1136/bmjophth-2021-000878. eCollection 2021. — View Citation

* Note: There are 21 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Neural activity related to pain.	Pain-related brain activation measured with fMRI.	1 year
Primary	Corneal nerve morphology.	Afferent nerve fiber morphology measured with IVCM.	1 year