NCT04361149

Brief Summary

Central sensitization is a condition that represents a cascade of neurological adaptations, resulting in an amplification of nociceptive responses from noxious and non-noxious stimuli. This phenomenon presents itself in a vast majority of chronic pain syndromes. Previous evidence has shown that central sensitization results in afferent nociceptor and dorsal horn abnormalities; however, a link between whether this abnormality translates into motor output and more specifically, ventral horn abnormalities, needs to be further explored. Twenty participants were recruited and either a topical capsaicin or a placebo topical cream was applied to their back to induce a transient state of sensitization. Surface electromyography(sEMG) and intramuscular electromyography(iEMG) were used to record motor unit activity from the trapezius and infraspinatus muscles before and after application of capsaicin/placebo. Motor unit recruitment and variability were analyzed in the sEMG and iEMG respectively

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
23

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for phase_4

Timeline
Completed

Started Oct 2019

Shorter than P25 for phase_4

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

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

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 1, 2019

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 20, 2019

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 10, 2020

Completed
1 month until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 17, 2020

Completed
7 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 24, 2020

Completed
Last Updated

April 24, 2020

Status Verified

April 1, 2020

Enrollment Period

3 months

First QC Date

April 17, 2020

Last Update Submit

April 21, 2020

Conditions

Keywords

Central SensitizationSurface ElectromyographyIntramuscular ElectromyographyMotor UnitRecruitment

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Pain and Presence of Central Sensitization

    Visual Analogue Scale(0-no pain to 10-worst pain imaginable) will measure the amount of burning pain experienced by the intervention

    3 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (2)

  • Motor Unit Sequence Difference

    3 months

  • Variance of Motor Unit Action Potential

    3 months

Study Arms (2)

Placebo Topical

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

The cream was a lipobase cream, applied topically to the participants upper back, on their left side.

Device: Delsys Trigno Galileo SystemDevice: Excaliber, Natus MedicalOther: Placebo Cream

Capsaicin Topical

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Capsaicin Cream (0.075%), applied topically to the participants upper back, on their left side.

Drug: Capsaicin Topical Cream (0.075%)Device: Delsys Trigno Galileo SystemDevice: Excaliber, Natus Medical

Interventions

Capsaicin cream will be administered as a topical skin cream

Also known as: Zostrix HP
Capsaicin Topical

A wireless surface EMG device. The sensors will be placed on the trapezius and the infraspinatus muscle, and a recording will be performed.

Capsaicin TopicalPlacebo Topical

Intramuscular EMG machine. The intramuscular electrode will be inserted into the trapezius and a recording will be performed.

Capsaicin TopicalPlacebo Topical

Placebo cream will be administered as a topical skin cream

Placebo Topical

Eligibility Criteria

Age20 Years - 70 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • subject with a normal body mass index (18.5 - 24.9)
  • a pain visual analogue scale (VAS) below 3 indicating low pain severity

You may not qualify if:

  • medical history of inflammatory disorders as rheumatoid arthritis
  • neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease
  • motor neurone diseases as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or other neuromuscular disorder

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A1, Canada

Location

Related Publications (42)

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Disorders

Interventions

Capsaicin

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Polyunsaturated AlkamidesAmidesOrganic ChemicalsAlkenesHydrocarbons, AcyclicHydrocarbonsCatecholsPhenolsBenzene DerivativesHydrocarbons, AromaticHydrocarbons, CyclicSolanaceous AlkaloidsAlkaloidsHeterocyclic CompoundsFatty Acids, MonounsaturatedFatty Acids, UnsaturatedFatty AcidsLipids

Study Officials

  • Dinesh Kumbahre, PhD

    Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
phase 4
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT
Masking Details
The participants were blinded by the cream treatment given. Both creams were in a concealed, blank, container
Purpose
BASIC SCIENCE
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: A randomized placebo controlled trial using 2 treatments: 1) placebo cream 2) capsaicin cream (0.075%) (Zostrix HP)
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Affiliate Scientist

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 17, 2020

First Posted

April 24, 2020

Study Start

October 1, 2019

Primary Completion

December 20, 2019

Study Completion

March 10, 2020

Last Updated

April 24, 2020

Record last verified: 2020-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

The University Health Network has a high importance on patient confidentiality. For ethics approval, this was complied with these standards, upholding the patient confidentiality standard at UHN.

Locations