CompletedNot Applicable

Neural Correlates of Auriculotherapy

United States10 participantsStarted 2021-07-15

Plain-language summary

Chronic pain continues to be a major health issue, creating a significant societal burden, as it is an independent risk factor for opioid use disorder (OUD) and deaths. Acute pain episodes can often engender OUD due to lack of effective strategies to treat pain and prevent the transition to chronic pain. One potential non-opioid method for pain relief is auriculotherapy (AT), where acupuncture-like treatment is administered to the ear. The objective of this pilot study is to illustrate that AT-related brain effects can be found using functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) in patients with low back pain.

Who can participate

Age range18 Years

SexALL

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

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 and above. * Experiencing low back pain for \> 1 month and seeking treatment. * Literate for reading and writing in English, decision competent, willing and able to provide written informed consent, and able to complete the study's schedule of assessments. Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects under 18 years of age. * History of claustrophobia. * Having non-MRI safe metallic or foreign objects in their body. * History of dementia. * History of sensory or motor deficits that preclude participation in pain fMRI. * History of clinically unstable systemic illness that is judged to interfere with the study. * Pregnancy or the intent to become pregnant during the study.

What they're measuring

Default Mode Network (DMN)-to-Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) connectivity

Timeframe: Day 3 of participation

Trial details

NCT IDNCT06358287

SponsorKeith M. Vogt, MD, PhD

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2022-11-07

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