Pain Phenotyping in Patients With Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury
University of Zurich
300 participants
Apr 17, 2024
OBSERVATIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The development of neuropathic pain is one of the most debilitating sequels after a spinal cord injury (SCI). The overall aim of this study is to investigate potential underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropathic pain after SCI. The functionality of the nociceptive pathway in humans as well as its plastic changes following SCI will be inferred with sophisticated sensory and pain phenotyping using quantitative sensory testing (i.e., psychophysical measures), objective neurophysiological measures of pain processing and the recording of pain-related autonomic responses (i.e., galvanic skin response, cardiovascular measures and pupil dilation). In addition, the interplay between the somatosensory and autonomic nervous system and its association with the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain after SCI will be investigated.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria16
- Aged between 18-80 years
- Traumatic and non-traumatic etiology
- Para- and tetraplegic SCI
- Complete and incomplete SCI
- SCI with and without neuropathic pain
- SCI since less than one month
- SCI since more than one year
- Control cohorts with peripheral neuropathy:
- Aged between 18-80 years
- Neurological disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system (i.e., peripheral neuropathy)
- Peripheral neuropathy with or without neuropathic pain
- Peripheral neuropathy since less than one month
- Peripheral neuropathy since more than one year
- Control cohorts without neuropathy / healthy volunteers
- Aged between 18-80 years
- No medical condition affecting the peripheral and/or central nervous system (e.g., pain, systemic disease, psychological disorder)
Exclusion Criteria4
- Inability to follow study instructions
- Pregnancy
- Medically manifested psychological disorder
- Medical condition affecting the peripheral and/or central nervous system other than the desired experimental condition (e.g., additional peripheral neuropathy in the SCI cohort)
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Interventions
Pain-related evoked potentials and nerve conduction studies
Blood pressure control, orthostatic intolerance test, baro-reflex sensitivity, heart-rate variability
Temporal summation of pain, conditioned pain modulation
Thermal and mechanical sensory testing
Pain drawings, plus and minus signs of pain
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
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NCT06443281