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The Efficacy and Safety of Pulsed Radiofrequency Combined With Continuous Radiofrequency for the Trigeminal Neuralgia

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Interventions
Procedure: High-voltage pulsed radiofrequency
Procedure: Low-temperature continuous radiofrequency
Registration Number
NCT04174443
Lead Sponsor
Beijing Tiantan Hospital
Brief Summary

Trigeminal neuralgia is a very painful condition, and radiofrequency therapy is reserved for patients who are resistant or intolerant to pharmacological therapy. Continuous radiofrequency and pulsed radiofrequency both have advantages and disadvantages. Recently, studies have found that pulsed radiofrequency combined with low-temperature (\<65 °C) continuous radiofrequency increases the efficacy of the treatment, without leading to a significant increase in complications caused by nerve lesions. However, these reports have some limitations. The investigators plan to conduct a randomized, controlled study to compare the efficacy of applying high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency, with and without low-temperature continuous radiofrequency, to the gasserian ganglion for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. The primary outcome will be the effectiveness of the treatment after 12 months which is the percentage of participants with a modified Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity Score between I-III.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
146
Inclusion Criteria
  • Diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd Edition criteria.
  • Aged 18-75 years (inclusive), no sex limitation.
  • Suffering from severe trigeminal neuralgia that cannot be alleviated effectively using conservative medical therapy such as carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine.
  • Numeric rating scale score≥7 before the procedure.
  • Agreed to sign the informed consent form.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Secondary trigeminal neuralgia such as trigeminal neuralgia attributed to a space-occupying lesion or multiple sclerosis.
  • Infection at the puncture site.
  • A history of psychiatric disease.
  • Disorder indicated in the results of routine blood tests, hepatic function, renal function, coagulation function, electrocardiogram, or chest X-ray.
  • Serious systemic diseases such as uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes, and cardiac dysfunction (II-III of the New York Heart Association classification).
  • A history of abuse of narcotics.
  • A history of receiving continuous radiofrequency to the gasserian ganglion or peripheral branches; glycerol rhizolysis; balloon compression; gamma knife; or any other neuroablative treatments.
  • A history of receiving microvascular decompression.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Pulsed radiofrequency + Continuous radiofrequencyHigh-voltage pulsed radiofrequency-
Pulsed radiofrequencyHigh-voltage pulsed radiofrequency-
Pulsed radiofrequency + Continuous radiofrequencyLow-temperature continuous radiofrequency-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The percentage of participants with a modified Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity Score of I-IIITwelve months after the procedure

The modified Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity Score (I: No pain, off medications; II: Occasional pain, off medications; IIIa: No pain, continued use of medications; IIIb: Pain persists, but adequately controlled with medications; IV: Pain not adequately controlled with medications; V: No relief) will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. Twelve months after the procedure, participants with Barrow Neurological Institute scores of I-III will be defined as having received effective treatment. The primary outcome will be the effectiveness of the treatment after 12 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The modified Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity ScoreOn day 1; at 1 and 2 weeks; and after 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months following the procedure

The modified Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity Score (I: No pain, off medications; II: Occasional pain, off medications; IIIa: No pain, continued use of medications; IIIb: Pain persists, but adequately controlled with medications; IV: Pain not adequately controlled with medications; V: No relief) will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment.

Number of participants with adverse reactionsWithin two weeks of the procedure

Nausea, vomiting, and facial hematoma during and after the procedure; headache, dizziness, and cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurring within two weeks of the procedure.

Patient satisfaction scores on the 5-point Likert scaleAfter 1, 6 and 12 months following the procedure

1: poor, 2: fair, 3: good, 4: very good, 5: excellent

NumbnessOn day 1; at 1 and 2 weeks; and after 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months following the procedure

The Barrow Neurological Institute facial numbness scores (I: No facial numbness; II: Mild facial numbness, not bothersome; III: Facial Numbness, somewhat bothersome; IV: Facial numbness, very bothersome) will be used to evaluate the facial numbness.

Numeric rating scaleOn day 1; at 1 and 2 weeks; and after 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months following the procedure

Pain was assessed after surgery by a numerical rating scale (0 indicates no pain, 10 indicates the most severe pain imaginable).

The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREFAfter 1, 6 and 12 months following the procedure

Quality of life will be measured using the World Health Organisation QoL-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. The WHOQOL-BREF is a abbreviated version of the WHOQOL-100 assessment. WHOQOL-BREF is a self-report questionnaire that contains 26 items and addresses 4 QOL domains: physical health (7 items), psychological health (6 items), social relationships (3 items) and environment (8 items). Two other items measure overall QOL and general health. Each domain's mean score can range between 4 and 20 and a higher score indicates a higher quality of life. The mean score of items within each domain is used to calculate the domain score. A transformation method converts domain scores to a 0-100 scale.

Number of participants with anesthesia dolorosaWithin 12 months of the procedure

The participant's facial sensation decreased, accompanied by pain

Dose of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepineOn day 1; at 1 and 2 weeks; and after 1, 2, 3, 6, and 12 months following the procedure

Dose of carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine per day (mg/day)

Number of participants with masticator weaknessWithin 12 months of the procedure

Occlusal dysfunction or a lower degree of masseter muscle fullness on one side when biting hard.

Number of participants with keratitisWithin 12 months of the procedure

Eye dryness and pain, photophobia, lacrimation, excess mucus and other conditions diagnosed as keratitis by an ophthalmologist

Number of participants with corneal anesthesiaWithin 12 months of the procedure

When touching the sclera with a cotton swab hair does not cause the eyelids to close quickly.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Beijing Tiantan Hospital

🇨🇳

Beijing, Beijing, China

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