TerminatedPhase 2

Neurotropin to Treat Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Stopped: difficulty in the recruitment of patients

United States21 participantsStarted 2000-09

Plain-language summary

This study will examine the effectiveness of the drug neurotropin in treating chronic pain after injury to a limb or a large nerve. Two groups of patients will participate in this study: patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 1, or CRPS-I (also called reflex sympathetic dystrophy) and patients with complex regional pain syndrome type 2, or CRPS-II. CRPS-I is pain that develops after relatively minor injury to an arm or leg, but lasts much longer and is much more severe than would normally be expected. CRPS-II is pain resulting from injury to a large nerve. Candidates will have a history and physical examination, blood tests, and electrocardiogram. Participants will undergo the following tests and procedures: Patients with CRPS I and II will receive an individualized regimen of physical therapy and standard treatment to control their pain. In addition, they will receive neurotropin or placebo tablets for 5 weeks, then no trial medicine for at least 1 week, and then the other trial drug for the next 5 weeks. That is, patients who took placebo the first 5 weeks will take neurotropin the second 5 weeks and vice versa. Neither the patients nor the doctors will know who received which drug during the two intervals until the study is over. Patients will complete questionnaires about their pain, quality of life, and ability to perform daily living activities. They will have various tests to measure pain (such as sensitivity to heat and cold, to an electric current, to a mild pin prick, etc.); to provide information about changes in their condition (such as tests of range of motion of joints and limb size); to measure blood circulation and sweating in the arm or leg (such as measurements of blood flow to the limb, skin temperature, and sweat production), and other procedures.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

* INCLUSION CRITERIA: CRPS patients are referred with a diagnosis of CRPS-I or CRPS-II in one limb only, based on pain (1) that is post-traumatic and spread beyond the region of the injury; (2) has persisted for more than 2 weeks; and (3) is associated with swelling, altered skin color or skin temperature, altered sweating, allodynia or hyperesthesia or limitation of active movement. Atrophic changes in skin, hair loss or nail changes, or disuse atrophy of skeletal muscle may be present. Both sexes are to be studied. All ethnic and racial groups can participate. Patients must be willing to return to NIH for follow-up evaluation under this protocol. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Pregnant and lactating women are excluded. Based on the oral surgeon's postoperative diagnosis, any extraction which is classified as producing unusual surgical trauma will result in exclusion from the remainder of the study. Dental subjects will also be excluded if they are not adequately sedated by midazolam alone and require intraoperative administration of an opioid drug such as fentanyl, administration of greater than 14.4 ml of local anesthetic (2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine), or postoperative administration of a steroid for possible injury to the inferior alveolar nerve. Patients referred with CRPS-I or CRPS II who have abnormal screening test results or who have non-traumatic disorders to which pain may be attributed (gout, malignancy, arthritis, etc.) will be excluded. Any patients w…

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of Pain Scores After Administration of Test Drugs (Placebo or Neurotropin )

Timeframe: VAS of each patient is measured after each 5-week treatment interval with placebo or Neurotropin.

Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) of Pain Scores After Administration of Test Drugs (Neurotropin or Placebo)

Timeframe: NRS of each patient is measured after each five-week treatment interval with placebo or Neurotropin.

McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) of Scores After Administration of Test Drugs (Neurotropin or Placebo)

Timeframe: MPQ of each patient is measured after each five-week treatment interval with drug A or drug B.

Trial details

NCT IDNCT00006289

SponsorNational Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Sponsor typeNIH

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2012-06

Results submitted2013-06-04

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type I trials