NCT03865693

Brief Summary

Prevalence of chronic pain has been shown to be high after thermal injury. Post-burn neuropathic pain causes chronic disabilities that is often difficult to treat effectively. Pain Scrambler therapy is a patient-specific electrocutaneous nerve stimulation device. To study changes in the pain network associated with neuropathic pain, magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) was used to evaluate cerebral blood volume(CBV) in patients who had been injuried by burn. Participants (N=40, experimental 20 and control group 20) comprised patients with neuropathic pain after thermal injury. The subjects complained of severe neuropathic pain that was rated at least 5 on the visual analogue scale (VAS), despite treatments with gabapentin medication and other physical modalities. Each Scrambler therapy with the MC5-A Calmare® therapy device (Competitive Technologies, Inc. Fairfield, USA ) was performed for 40 min daily (Monday through Friday) for 10 consecutive days. The stimulus was increased to the maximum intensity bearable by the individual patient without causing any additional pain or discomfort. The intensity of neuropathic pain was measured using the visual analogue scale(VAS). Depressive mood was assessed using the Beck Depression Scale. Voxel-wise comparisons of relative CBV maps were made between before scrambler therapy and after 10 scrambler therapy sessions over the entire brain volume. The relationship between individual participant CBV(measured in voxels), BDS and VAS score was also examined. We observed decreased in the cerebral pain network of patients with burn injury. Scrambler therapy is a non-invasive, non-medicinal modality that significantly reduced burn-associated neuropathic pain. Scrambler therapy should be considered as a treatment option for burn survivors with severe neuropathic pain.

Trial Health

43
At Risk

Trial Health Score

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

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
40

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jul 2019

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
unknown

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

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

March 5, 2019

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

March 7, 2019

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 1, 2019

Completed
1.2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

August 31, 2020

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

November 30, 2020

Completed
Last Updated

June 20, 2019

Status Verified

June 1, 2019

Enrollment Period

1.2 years

First QC Date

March 5, 2019

Last Update Submit

June 18, 2019

Conditions

Keywords

Burnpain scrambler

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • neuropathic pain score

    visual analog scale, Zero ("0") represented no pain and 10 represented unbearable symptoms

    after 4 weeks scrambler therapy

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Cerebral blood volume

    after 4 weeks scrambler therapy

Study Arms (2)

scarmbler treatment group

EXPERIMENTAL

Each Scrambler therapy with the MC5-A Calmare® therapy device (Competitive Technologies, Inc. Fairfield, USA ) was performed for 40 min daily (Monday through Friday) for 10 consecutive days. The experimental participants were received scarmbler therapy 10 times for 2 weeks. The stimulus was increased to the maximum intensity bearable by the individual patient without causing any additional pain or discomfort.

Device: scarmbler therapy

sham treatment group

SHAM COMPARATOR

conservative management without scarmbler therapy

Device: scarmbler therapy

Interventions

Scrambler therapy is a patient-specific electrocutaneous nerve stimulation device.

scarmbler treatment groupsham treatment group

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 65 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Burn patients
  • severe neuropatic pain rated at least 5 on the 10-point numerical rating scale (NRS)

You may not qualify if:

  • cardiac arrest history
  • history of neurologi disease or brain surgery
  • unstable heart disease or presence of a cardiac pacemaker
  • pain resulting from other causes like as neuromuscular diseases
  • psychiatric disorder
  • diabetes mellitus
  • abnormal renal function
  • contraindication for MRI, or pregnancy.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital

Seoul, Yeong-deungpo-Dong, 150-719, South Korea

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

  • Joo SY, Cho YS, Cho SR, Kym D, Seo CH. Effects of pain Scrambler therapy for management of burn scar pruritus: A pilot study. Burns. 2017 May;43(3):514-519. doi: 10.1016/j.burns.2016.09.028. Epub 2016 Oct 15.

    PMID: 27756587BACKGROUND
  • Majithia N, Smith TJ, Coyne PJ, Abdi S, Pachman DR, Lachance D, Shelerud R, Cheville A, Basford JR, Farley D, O'Neill C, Ruddy KJ, Sparadeo F, Beutler A, Loprinzi CL. Scrambler Therapy for the management of chronic pain. Support Care Cancer. 2016 Jun;24(6):2807-14. doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3177-3. Epub 2016 Apr 4.

  • Lee SY, Park CH, Cho YS, Kim L, Yoo JW, Joo SY, Seo CH. Scrambler Therapy for Chronic Pain after Burns and Its Effect on the Cerebral Pain Network: A Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Med. 2022 Jul 22;11(15):4255. doi: 10.3390/jcm11154255.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

NeuralgiaBurns

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Peripheral Nervous System DiseasesNeuromuscular DiseasesNervous System DiseasesPainNeurologic ManifestationsSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsWounds and Injuries

Study Officials

  • Cheong Hoon Seo, M.D.

    Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Cheong Hoon Seo, M.D.

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

March 5, 2019

First Posted

March 7, 2019

Study Start

July 1, 2019

Primary Completion

August 31, 2020

Study Completion

November 30, 2020

Last Updated

June 20, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-06

Locations