Stellate Ganglion Blockade in Post-Menopausal Women

NCT02907983 | Withdrawn Phase 2 DMC FDA Drug

• 1 other identifier: STU00203490
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: N/A
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Hot flashes and night sweats (vasomotor symptoms, VMS) affect 80% of women during the menopausal transition (MT). VMS are associated with decreased quality of life, increased depressive and anxiety symptoms, memory complaints, sleep disturbance, and reduced work productivity. Hormone therapy (HT) is highly effective in reducing VMS, but the use of HT declined 75% to 80% in the U.S. after the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) raised safety concerns about HT. In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI; 7.5 mg), as the first non-hormonal treatment for VMS. SSRIs are an important treatment option for many women, but their use in treating VMS is limited by lower effectiveness when compared to HT, side effects, and relapse of symptoms following treatment discontinuation. Identifying safe and effective non-hormonal treatments for VMS remains a priority in women's health research. Stellate ganglion blockade (SGB), used for decades in pain management, is a potential new approach to VMS treatment. Located in the cervical spine region, the stellate ganglia are part of the sympathetic nervous system. Although SGB is commonly performed to treat neuropathic pain, hyperhidrosis or vascular insufficiency, anatomic studies reveal connections between this ganglion and thermoregulatory regions of the brain, specifically the insular cortex. In this clinical trial, we aim to assess whether stellate ganglion block (SGB) with bupivacaine, a local anesthetic, is an effective and safe non-hormonal intervention for women seeking relief from vasomotor symptoms (VMS), and identify the physiologic mechanisms underlying SGB effects. Outcomes will include frequency and intensity of hot flashes, objectively-measured VMS, mood, quality of life, sleep, and memory performance in 160 postmenopausal women with 50 or more moderate to very severe hot flashes per week as measured by self-report for six months. They will be reassessed at 3 and 6 months following the SGB or a sham intervention for objective hot flashes and quality of life measures. Mechanistic outcomes (neuroimaging) will be obtained at baseline and 3 months following the intervention. Ambulatory monitoring of sympathetic nervous system function (SKNA) will be performed at baseline before the procedure, during the procedure and 1 hour following the procedure. This will be repeated at 2 and four weeks following the SGB or sham procedure for 1 hour recordings.

Conditions

Hot Flashes; Hot Flushes; Vasomotor Symptoms

Keywords

Menopause; Post-menopausal

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes from baseline and intensity of subjective hot flashes (HF)

  Changes from baseline of paper diary (subjective) measures of frequency and intensity

  Up to 24 weeks (6 months) following intervention

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Changes from baseline of frequency of objective hot flashes

  Up to 24 weeks (6 months) following intervention

• Composite changes from baseline of scores of neurocognitive measures

  Up to 24 weeks (6 months) following intervention

• Composite changes from baseline of scores of measures of mood

  Up to 24 weeks (6 months) following intervention

• Composite changes from baseline of scores of measures of quality of life

  Up to 24 weeks (6 months) following intervention

• Changes from baseline of scores of measures of sleep

  Up to 24 weeks (6 months) following intervention

Study Arms (2)

Bupivicaine

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Stellate Ganglion Block injection with bupivicaine

Drug: Stellate Ganglion Block Injection with Bupivicaine

Saline

SHAM COMPARATOR

Saline injection

Drug: Saline injection

Interventions

Stellate Ganglion Block Injection with Bupivicaine DRUG

A computer-generated stratified randomization scheme by self-reported race and by etiology of menopause (natural versus surgical menopause) will be used to assign participants to receive either a SGB with bupivacaine or a sham injection with saline. Randomization will be performed by the injectionist immediately before the injection procedure by opening an opaque envelope to reveal the participant number and group assignment printed on an index card.

Also known as: Marcaine

Bupivicaine

Saline injection DRUG

A computer-generated stratified randomization scheme by self-reported race and by etiology of menopause (natural versus surgical menopause) will be used to assign participants to receive either a SGB with bupivacaine or a sham injection with saline. Randomization will be performed by the injectionist immediately before the injection procedure by opening an opaque envelope to reveal the participant number and group assignment printed on an index card.

Also known as: Sodium chloride solution

Saline

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 40 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• post-menopausal woman defined according to the following criteria: 12 months of spontaneous amenorrhea or 6 months of spontaneous amenorrhea with serum FSH levels ≥ 40 IU/ml or 6 weeks postsurgical bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy
• aged 40 to 70 years
• or more reported moderate-to-severe hot flashes per week
• a minimum of two weeks of VMS diary recording prior to SGB
• post-menopausal women whose vasomotor symptoms are refractory to approved oral treatments (i.e., hormone therapy or paroxetine) or for whom hormone therapy is contraindicated or for women who refuse any oral therapy
• willingness to undergo fluoroscopy-guided SGB or sham treatment.
• safety labs within 30 days of SGB intervention

You may not qualify if:

• conditions that preclude SGB or sham intervention (e.g., anatomic abnormalities of the anterior neck or cervical spine ; goiter, cardiac/pulmonary compromise; contralateral (left-sided) phrenic nerve paralysis or diaphragmatic paresis; history of seizure, coma, or stroke; history of neurologic deficit to the brachial plexus or an abnormal brachial plexus neurologic exam; history of Zenker's diverticulum; acute illness/infection; coagulopathy or bleeding abnormalities; INR \>1.3; hemoglobin\<9.0, platelets \<100,000, BUN ≥ 30mg/dl; creatinine ≥ 2 mg/ml; ALT (SGPT), AST (SGOT), Alk Phos ≥ three times the upper limit of normal; serum potassium (K+) ≤ 3.5 or ≥ 5.0 mEq/L allergic reactions or contraindications to a local anesthetic or contrast dye, systolic blood pressure (SBP) \>140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) \>90 mm Hg, pregnancy
• If LMP is between 6 to 12 months, FSH \< 40
• use of treatments less than the washout period and throughout study participation that can affect VMS frequency or severity, including oral (2 months) or transdermal hormone therapy(1 month), botanicals (e.g., soy, red clover, black cohosh, etc.)(1 month), oral contraceptives(2 months), serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) (2 weeks), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI),( 2 weeks) gabapentin, pregabalin, clonidine, selective estrogen receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors, tissue selective estrogen complexes;(2months)
• use of aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications for 3 days prior to the SGB procedure; all other anti-platelet or anticoagulation medications will be discontinued with the permission of the participant's prescribing physician
• for cognition testing: conditions or disorders that can affect performance on cognitive tests (e.g., dementia/mild cognitive impairment, Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) less than or equal to 27) at baseline; stroke; traumatic brain injury; alcohol/substance use; inability to write, speak, or read in English, English as a second language, participation in other studies involving tests of cognitive abilities,
• conditions that can affect depressive symptoms (e.g., current diagnosis of major depression, bipolar disorder, or other Axis I Psychiatric disorder); Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-8)\> 15

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Northwestern University: lead
• University of Illinois at Chicago: collaborator
• Indiana University: collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

Location

Paul C. Fitzgerald

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Hot Flashes

Interventions

Bupivacaine; Sodium Chloride

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Anilides; Amides; Organic Chemicals; Aniline Compounds; Amines; Chlorides; Hydrochloric Acid; Chlorine Compounds; Inorganic Chemicals; Sodium Compounds

Study Officials

• Charles W Hogue, MD

  Northwestern University

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: CARE PROVIDER
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 16, 2016
• First Posted: September 20, 2016
• Study Start: July 10, 2018
• Primary Completion: August 24, 2023
• Study Completion: August 24, 2023
• Last Updated: July 23, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Locations

US (2)