NCT06012357

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to compare Nociception Coma Scale-Revised Recorded (NCS-R) scores obtained with the standard pressure on fingernail bed (standard stimulus, SS) versus other personalized painful stimuli (PS), in non-communicative patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), as indicated by professionals and caregivers involved in their care and rehabilitation. The study aims also to establish possible correlations between NCS-R and Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R.) The main question : an integrated patient-centered approach for assessment of the physical pain, in which clinical measures and behavioral observations will be integrated, to understand and manage the pain intensity, may improve treatment and rehabilitation outcome. Specifically, a new version of NCS-R, adapted with PS, may produce more intentional and specific responses to pain-inducing maneuvers. Investigating pain perception in non-communicative patients, through recognition of a personalized source of nociception and pain, may avoid non specific, useless and harmful noxious tests (as with standard pain scales) and may provide tools for revealing nociception even in the lack of any response to standard clinical evaluation. Question 1: the superiority of personalized painful stimulus a standard painful stimulation in nin communicative patients. Question 2: the parallel recovery of painful stimuli responsiveness and consciousness Participants will Responsiveness and pain perception will be assessed respectively with the CRS-R and the NCS-R. Pain responses will be assessed by means of standard stimulus (NCS-R-SS, as used in the CRS-R) and personalized stimulation (NCS-R-PS), at admission and discharge. CRS-R will be administered within the first month after admission, at least 5 times in different days, choosing the highest score as reference and repeated during recovery of consciousness or discharge. After informed consent by patient's legal representative or the primary caregiver, for the purpose of the study, caregivers (including relatives, nurses, therapists, physicians) will be asked to record all manoeuvres they feel are associated with potential pain, with a window of observation of the rehabilitation and nursing staff of around one week to identify the personalized painful stimulus (about the second week after admission at the rehabilitation ward). Amongst them, the manoeuvres that consistently over time induced the most motor/behaviour responses suggestive of pain perception, reported at least by 2 members of the rehabilitation staff or by one of them and one caregiver, will be chosen as the personalized stimulus (PS). NCS-R with standard stimulus (NCS-R-SS) and with personalized stimulus (NCS-R-PS), will be recorded within 30 days after admission, alternating the order of the 2 painful stimulations; CRS-R will be recorded accordingly, in parallel to NCS-R-SS and NCS-R-PS and will be blindly recorded, at the same time, by two different rehabilitation staff members, to assess inter-rater reliability, whereas two of them will repeat both NCS-R\_SS and NCS-R-PS during the same week to assess intra-rater reliability of both NCS-R-SS and NCS-R-PS, with an interval of at least 6 hours from the last pain killer or anti-spastic drugs administration, including GABAergic, anti-inflammatory drugs or opiates. Both CRS-R and NCS-R (SS and PS) will be repeated 1 month and 3 months after the first assessment with the same procedures of the first time.

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
33

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Jul 2019

Longer than P75 for all trials

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

Study Start

First participant enrolled

July 9, 2019

Completed
3.7 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 7, 2023

Completed
5 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 25, 2023

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 31, 2023

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2023

Completed
Last Updated

August 25, 2023

Status Verified

August 1, 2023

Enrollment Period

4.5 years

First QC Date

April 7, 2023

Last Update Submit

August 24, 2023

Conditions

Keywords

Disorder of consciousnessPainResponsivenessNociception Coma Scale-RevisedComa Recovery Scale-RevisedNon communicative patients

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Evaluation of pain perception in non communicative patients

    Time 0

    Within 30 days after admission

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Superiority of personalized painful stimulus versus standard stimulation

    30 days from T0

Other Outcomes (1)

  • Possible parallel recovery of painful stimulus responsiveness and consciousness

    3 months from T0

Interventions

Nociception Coma Scale-Revised Recorded after personalized painful stimulus

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 65 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
Sampling MethodNon-Probability Sample
Study Population

Patients (age ≥ 18 years) diagnosed with Vegetative State (VS)/Unresponsive Wakefulness Syndrome (UWS) or Minimally Conscious State (MCS) after severe acquired brain injury (ABI) admitted to neurorehabilitation ceters.

You may qualify if:

  • severe acquired brain injury (sABI),
  • clinical history and neuroimaging (brain CT and/or MRI) and fulfilling the criteria proposed for the sABI diagnosis:
  • Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ≤ 8 within 24 hours after injury,
  • diagnosis of disorders of consciousness (DoC), (VS/UWS or MCS), according to the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R),
  • interval from the acute event of at least 3 months.

You may not qualify if:

  • history of previous brain injury,
  • neurological or psychiatric disorders,
  • alcohol or illicit drug abuse and concomitant spinal cord injury

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Rita Formisano

Rome, 00179, Italy

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

  • Formisano R, Aloisi M, Ferri G, Schiattone S, Estraneo A, Magliacano A, Noe E, Perez MDN, Hakiki B, Romoli AM, Bertoletti E, Leonardi G, Thibaut A, Martial C, Gosseries O, Brisbois M, Lejeune N, O'Valle M, Ferri J, Frederick A, Zasler N, Schnakers C, Iosa M. Nociception Coma Scale-Revised with Personalized Painful Stimulus Versus Standard Stimulation in Persons with Disorders of Consciousness: An International Multicenter Study. J Clin Med. 2024 Sep 18;13(18):5528. doi: 10.3390/jcm13185528.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Consciousness DisordersPain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurobehavioral ManifestationsNeurologic ManifestationsNervous System DiseasesSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsNeurocognitive DisordersMental Disorders

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Observational Model
OTHER
Time Perspective
RETROSPECTIVE
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Director of Neuroriabilitazione 2

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 7, 2023

First Posted

August 25, 2023

Study Start

July 9, 2019

Primary Completion

December 31, 2023

Study Completion

December 31, 2023

Last Updated

August 25, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-08

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share
Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, CSR
Time Frame
Enrollment of at least 50 patients with DoC in the participating centers

Locations