NCT01377883

Brief Summary

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) undergo multiple painful procedures such as Botulinum toxin (BTX) injections that are administered several times a year. While clown care reduces preoperative anxiety, its effect on painful procedures has not been assessed. We hypothesized that medical clowning reduces pain and anxiety during BTX injections.

Trial Health

100
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
25

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2010

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2010

Completed
1.3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

May 1, 2011

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

June 1, 2011

Completed
18 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 19, 2011

Completed
3 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 22, 2011

Completed
Last Updated

December 31, 2018

Status Verified

December 1, 2018

Enrollment Period

1.3 years

First QC Date

June 19, 2011

Last Update Submit

December 27, 2018

Conditions

Keywords

Needle, Anxiety, Pain, Clowns

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Visual Analogue Scale

    Visual Analogue Scale by the child before after BTX injection. Parent rated the pain if the child was younger than 5 years or cognitively impaired

    sevral minutes before and after BTX injections

Study Arms (2)

Standard intervention

SHAM COMPARATOR

Preparation and information: the doctor and nurse explained the steps of the procedure: placing EMG electrodes, wiping the area with an alcohol swab, cooling with ethyl chloride, needle insertion into the muscle and the importance of EMG noise. Memory change and positive reinforcement: medical staff present spoke to the child positively and offered prizes, among which the child could choose. Volunteer attendance: as part of the control session, receiving no particular instructions in relation to the child's potential pain during the procedure.

Other: standard

clown care

EXPERIMENTAL

Cognitive coping: encouraging a child to cope with the challenge. Imagery: a cognitive technique used to encourage the child to cope with the pain and distress of the procedure by imagining a pleasant object or experience Empowerment: the child is made to feel empowered by controlling the actions of the clown Reflecting emotions: the clown, sensing the state of the child, plays it out in an exaggerated fashion.

Behavioral: clown care

Interventions

Preparation and information regarding the BTX procedure: placing EMG electrodes, wiping the area with an alcohol swab, cooling with ethyl chloride, needle insertion into the muscle and the importance of EMG noise. Injection performed under EMG guidance. Two sites of injection per muscle were used to enhance diffusion. The child could often see the procedure when the upper limb was treated but not during lower limb injections. Memory change and positive reinforcement: Following the BTX injection, the medical staff present spoke to the child positively and offered prizes Volunteer attendance: In the daycare unit there are young volunteers routinely present, assisting with technical aspects of the procedure.

Standard intervention
clown careBEHAVIORAL

Cognitive coping Imagery Empowerment Reflecting emotions

clown care

Eligibility Criteria

Age2 Years - 18 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Children with CP for whom BTX treatment was indicated

You may not qualify if:

  • Children with minimal communication skills (n =1)
  • Autistic spectrum disorders (n =1)
  • Severe anxiety requiring general anesthesia (n =1)

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Related Publications (1)

  • Ben-Pazi H, Cohen A, Kroyzer N, Lotem-Ophir R, Shvili Y, Winter G, Deutsch L, Pollak Y. Clown-care reduces pain in children with cerebral palsy undergoing recurrent botulinum toxin injections- A quasi-randomized controlled crossover study. PLoS One. 2017 Apr 17;12(4):e0175028. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175028. eCollection 2017.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cerebral PalsyPainAnxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Brain Damage, ChronicBrain DiseasesCentral Nervous System DiseasesNervous System DiseasesNeurologic ManifestationsSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsMental Disorders

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
PI

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

June 19, 2011

First Posted

June 22, 2011

Study Start

January 1, 2010

Primary Completion

May 1, 2011

Study Completion

June 1, 2011

Last Updated

December 31, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-12