NCT06914180

Brief Summary

This trial's primary objective is to compare the analgesic efficacy of esketamine in combination with pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) against that of PRF monotherapy in patients with trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia (TPHN).

Trial Health

63
Monitor

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
174

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
2mo left

Started Apr 2025

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
not yet recruiting

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 Progress88%
Apr 2025Jul 2026

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

March 25, 2025

Completed
7 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

April 1, 2025

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 6, 2025

Completed
12 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

April 1, 2026

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

July 1, 2026

Expected
Last Updated

April 9, 2025

Status Verified

April 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

1 year

First QC Date

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submit

April 5, 2025

Conditions

Keywords

trigeminal postherpetic neuralgiaesketamine

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • 1.the difference between the means of the daily mean pain scores over the first 7 days, measured on an 11-point Numeric Rating Scale(NRS)

    NRS score is a way to quantify the degree of subjective feelings such as pain using numbers. Generally, 0 represents no pain, and 10 represents the most severe pain.A higher score indicates more severe pain

    7-day period

Secondary Outcomes (7)

  • average weekly NRS score

    up to 12 weeks

  • averaged weekly analgesic consumption

    up to 12 weeks

  • the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) score

    At the end of weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 after treatment

  • the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score

    At the end of weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 after treatment

  • the Patient Global Impression of Change scale (PGIC)

    At the end of weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 after treatment

  • +2 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

esketamine group

EXPERIMENTAL

In addition to receiving PRF treatment+pregabalin, patients will also undergo a single intravenous infusion of esketamine

Drug: esketamine group

control group

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

patients will receive PRF treatment+pregabalin

Drug: control group

Interventions

In the esketamine group, in addition to receiving PRF treatment+pregabalin for rescue analgesia, patients will also undergo a single intravenous infusion of esketamine. A total of 0.5 mg/kg of esketamine will be diluted in 50 mL of normal saline. The infusion will commence with an intravenous injection of 10 mg of esketamine over 1 minute, followed by a maintenance dose of 8 mg/h. The infusion rate will be adjusted based on the patients' tolerance levels.

Also known as: esketamine+PRF
esketamine group

In the control group, patients will receive PRF+pregabaline treatment. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) will be performed on GG by a designated physician in each participating center. PRF treatment (PMG-230, Baylis Medical Inc.) targeting to GG will be applied for 900 seconds. The parameters of PRF treatment will be set at 42 ℃, 2 Hz with 20 milliseconds current. Regarding pregabalin, the dosage is titrated based on patients'pain intensity and tolerance. This process fully accounts for individual patient differences to optimize treatment outcomes.

Also known as: PRF
control group

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

  • Ages more than 18 years;
  • Pain persisting for over three months following the onset of the herpes zoster skin rash;
  • Lesions located in the trigeminal nerve or its branches innervated regions;
  • Having an average pain score of at least 4 on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0 = no pain, 10= worst possible pain);
  • Planned to perform CT-guided PRF treatment of the gasserian ganglion(GG).

You may not qualify if:

  • Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome;
  • Those who receive other more invasive treatments, such as radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) of GG.
  • A history of systemic immune diseases, organ transplantation, or cancers;
  • A history of severe cardiopulmonary, hepatic, renal dysfunction or coagulation function disorder;
  • A history of schizophrenia, epilepsy, or myasthenia gravis, delirium;
  • Comorbid hyperthyroidism or phaeochromocytoma;
  • Recent history of drug abuse;
  • Having contraindications to esketamine;
  • Communication difficulties.
  • Women who are preparing for pregnancy, in the pregnancy or lactation period.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Beijing Tiantan Hospital

Beijing, Beijing Municipality, 100070, China

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neuralgia

Interventions

Control Groups

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research DesignEpidemiologic MethodsInvestigative TechniquesResearch DesignMethods

Central Study Contacts

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Director of Department of Day surgery and Pain Management

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

March 25, 2025

First Posted

April 6, 2025

Study Start

April 1, 2025

Primary Completion

April 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 1, 2026

Last Updated

April 9, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Not yet decided

Locations