Pain Inhibition and Facilitation in Recurrent Low Back Pain

Completed

• Conditions: Recurrent Low Back Pain; Healthy

• Registration Number: NCT03463759
• Lead Sponsor: Aalborg University

Brief Summary

This study evaluates psychophysical measures of pain inhibition and facilitation, along with cortical responses to different sensory stimuli, in patients with recurrent low back pain and matched healthy individuals.

Detailed Description

Pain inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the development of persistent low back pain; however, there is still debate on when changes in these mechanisms occur. Similarly, evoked cortical responses can reflect neuroplastic changes in pain processing regions, which are also thought to play a role in the transition to persistent pain, but there is also debate on when these neuroplastic changes develop relative to low back pain. Therefore, this study will use patients with an intermediary clinical pain state, recurrent low back pain, and matched healthy control participants, to investigate within and between subject differences in pain inhibitory, facilitatory and neuroplastic mechanisms.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2018-03-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-03-07
• Study First Posted: 2018-03-13
• Study Start: 2018-04-10
• Primary Completion: 2018-12-14
• Study Completion: 2019-12-14
• Status Verified: 2020-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-12-10
• Last Update Posted: 2020-12-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Temporal Summation of Pain	Day 0 vs. Day 28	Pain rating (VAS) change over a series of 10 repeated mechanical stimuli
Conditioned Pain Modulation	Day 0 vs. Day 28	Pressure pain threshold (kPa) as test stimulus before compared to during a pressure conditioning stimulus on the lower leg

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pressure Pain Thresholds	Day 0 vs. Day 28	Threshold of pain detection (kPa) with handheld algometry over the low back and distant sites
Thermal Pain Thresholds	Day 0 vs. Day 28	Hot and cold pain detection thresholds (degrees)
Proprioceptive Weighting	Day 0 vs. Day 28	Center of pressure displacement during 1-minute of quiet standing
Two Point Discrimination	Day 0 vs. Day 28	The smallest distance (mm) for which two separate points can be distinguished over the low back
Sensory Evoked Potentials	Day 0 vs. Day 28	EEG signals recorded in response to laser and electrical stimuli applied to the back

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

CNAP, SMI, Aalborg University; 🇩🇰 Aalborg, Denmark