Pain Pathways in the Brain

NCT00078364 | Completed Phase 2

• 2 other identifiers: 04012504-D-0125
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will evaluate brain pathways involved in feeling pain and pain relief following administration of pain medication. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be used to measure brain activity at sites that become more active following oral surgery and then to see if the activity changes after pain medication is administered. MRI combines a powerful magnet with an advanced computer system and radio waves to produce detailed pictures of organs and tissues. During the scan, the subject lies on a table in a narrow cylinder containing a magnetic field. He or she can speak with a staff member via an intercom system at all times during the procedure. Healthy dental patients recruited through the NIH Clinical Research Volunteer Program may enroll in this study. Participants will undergo the following tests and procedures in two clinic visits: Visit 1 - Sensitivity Testing Participants are tested for sensitivity to warm and hot temperatures. A probe is applied to the skin (usually the forearm) and heated to temperatures ranging from room temperature to that of a hot cup of coffee. Participants rate the temperature using a scale ranging from "no pain" to the "worst pain imaginable" and rate the unpleasantness of the heat using a similar scale. The probe is applied up to 30 times, using random heat intensities. Participants are also asked compare the heat intensity to varying levels of sounds and to rate the magnitude of different sensations they have experienced in the past, such as the brightness of the sun and the loudness of a jet plane. A blood sample of about 2 ounces is also collected at this visit for DNA analysis to look for genes related to pain. Visit 2 - Oral Surgery Under local anesthetic, participants undergo extraction of their lower right wisdom tooth. After surgery, the patient is moved to the MRI scanner for brain imaging over 1-2 hours while the local anesthetic wears off. Patients may request a postoperative pain drug (Toradol) during the procedure, if needed. When the scan is complete, patients are dismissed from the clinic with additional pain medication (flurbiprofen) to use at home as directed.

Conditions

Healthy; Tooth Extraction

Keywords

MRI; NSAID Analgesia; Pain Mechanisms; SNP's; Acute Pain; Wisdom Teeth; Third Molar Extraction; Third Molar Impaction

Interventions

MRI PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institute of Dental And Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Bingel U, Quante M, Knab R, Bromm B, Weiller C, Buchel C. Subcortical structures involved in pain processing: evidence from single-trial fMRI. Pain. 2002 Sep;99(1-2):313-21. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3959(02)00157-4.

  PMID: 12237210 BACKGROUND

• Apkarian AV, Krauss BR, Fredrickson BE, Szeverenyi NM. Imaging the pain of low back pain: functional magnetic resonance imaging in combination with monitoring subjective pain perception allows the study of clinical pain states. Neurosci Lett. 2001 Feb 16;299(1-2):57-60. doi: 10.1016/s0304-3940(01)01504-x.

  PMID: 11166937 BACKGROUND

• Chen AC. New perspectives in EEG/MEG brain mapping and PET/fMRI neuroimaging of human pain. Int J Psychophysiol. 2001 Oct;42(2):147-59. doi: 10.1016/s0167-8760(01)00163-5.

  PMID: 11587773 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Acute Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2004
• First Posted: February 24, 2004
• Study Start: February 1, 2004
• Study Completion: August 1, 2005
• Last Updated: March 4, 2008

Record last verified: 2005-08

Locations

US (1)